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Frontispiece. 


CAPTAIN  COOK,  THE  DISCOVERER. 


FOOT-PRINTS  OF  TRAVEL; 


OR, 


JOURNEYINGS   IN   MANY  LANDS, 


BY 

MATURIN    M.    BALLOU. 


Armado,   How  hast  thou  purchased  this  experience? 
Moth.   By  my  journey  of  observation.  —  SHAKESPEARE. 


3»iOO- 


BOSTON,   U.S.A.: 
PUBLISHED   BY   GINN   &  COMPANY. 

1889. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1888,  by 

GINN   &  COMPANY, 

in  the  Oflfice  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


Typography  by  J.  S.  Gushing  &  Go.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 
Presswork  by  Ginn  &  Go.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE. 


In  these  notes  of  foreign  travel  the  object  has  been  to 
cover  a  broad  field  without  making  a  cumbersome  volume, 
to  do  which,  conciseness  has  necessarily  been  observed. 
In  previous  books  the  author  has  described  much  more  in 
detail  some  of  the  countries  here  briefly  spoken  of.  The 
volumes  referred  to  are  '*  Due-West ;  or,  Round  the  World 
in  Ten  Months,"  and  "Due-South;  or,  Cuba  Past  and 
Present,"  which  were  published  by  Houghton,  Mifflin  & 
Co.,  of  Boston.  Two  other  volumes,  namely,  "  Due-North  ; 
or.  Glimpses  of  Scandinavia  and  Russia,"  and  "  Under  the 
Southern  Cross  ;  or.  Travels  in  Australia  and  New  Zea- 
land," were  issued  by  Ticknor  &  Co.,  of  the  same  city. 
By  the  kind  permission  of  both  publishers,  the  author  has 
felt  at  liberty  to  use  his  original  notes  in  the  preparation 
of  these  pages.  It  should  be  understood,  however,  that 
about  one-half  of  the  countries  through  which  the  reader 
is  conducted  in  the  present  work  are  not  mentioned  in 
the  volumes  above  referred  to.     The  purpose  has  been  to 


iv  PREFACE. 

prepare  a  series  of  chapters  adapted  for  youth,  which, 
while  affording  pleasing  entertainment,  should  also  impart 
valuable  information.  The  free  use  of  good  maps  while 
reading  these  Foot-prints  of  Travel,  will  be  of  great 
advantage,  increasing  the  student's  interest  and  also  im- 
pressing upon  his  mind  a  degree  of  geographical  knowl- 
edge which  could    not  in  any  other  way  be    so  easily  or 

pleasantly  acquired. 

M.  M.  B. 


CONTENTS. 


-»<>•- 


CHAPTER   I. 

PAGE 

Crossing  the  American  Continent.  —  Niagara  Falls.  —  Utah.  —  Represen- 
tatives of  Native  Indian  Tribes.  —  City  of  San  Francisco.  —  Sea 
Lions.  —  The  Yosemite  Valley.  —  An  Indian  Hiding-Place.  —  The 
Mariposa  Grove  of  Big  Trees.  —  Chinatown  in  San  Francisco. — 
Through  the  Golden  Gate.  —  Navigating  the  Pacific.  —  Products  of 
the  Ocean.  —  Sea  Gulls.  —  Harbor  and  City  of  Honolulu     .     ,     ,     ,       I 

CHAPTER    II. 

Discoveries  of  Captain  Cook.  —  Vegetation.  —  Hawaiian  Women  on 
Horse-back.  —  The  Nuuanu  Valley.  —  The  Native  Staff  of  Life.  — 
The  Several  Islands  of  the  Group.  —  Resident  Chinamen.  —  Raising 
Sugar-Cane.  —  On  the  Ocean. —  Yokohama,  Japan.  —  Habits  of  the 
People.  —  A  Remarkable  Idol. — Tokio,  the  Political  Capital. — The 
Famous  Inland  Sea  of  Japan.  —  Nagasaki.  —  Products  and  Progress 
of  Japan l6 

CHAPTER    III. 

Through  the  Yellow  and  Chinese  Seas.  —  Hong  Kong.  —Peculiarities  of 
the  Chinese  at  Home.  —  Native  Women.  —  City  of  Canton.  —  Charita- 
ble Organizations.  —  Chinese  Culture.  —  National  Characteiistics.  — 
Sail  for  Singapore. —  A  Water-spout. —  A  Tropical  Island.  —  Local 
Pen-Pictures. — The  Island  of  Penang.  — An  Indolent  Native  Race. 
—  The  Cocoanut  Tree. — Palm  Wine. — Tropical  Fruits      ,     ...     32 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Crossing  the  Indian  Ocean. — The  Island  of  Ceylon.  —  Harbor  of  Colom- 
bo. —  The  Equatorial  Forest.  —  Native  Costumes.  —  Vegetation  of 
Ceylon.  —  Prehistoric  Monuments.  —  Departure  for  Austraha.  — The 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Stars  at  Sea.  —  The  Great  Island-Continent.  —  The  Gold  Product. 

—  Divisions  of  the  Country.  —  City  of  Adelaide.  —  Public  Garden. 

—  West     Australia.  —  Melbourne,     Capital    of    Victoria.  —  Street 
Scenes.  —  Chinese  Quarter 44 

CHAPTER   V. 

Gold-fields  of  Australia.  —  Kangaroos.  —  Big  Gum  Trees.  —  Largest 
Trees  in  the  World.  —  Wild  Bird  Life.  —  Gold-seeking.  —  City  of 
Sydney.  —  Botanical  Garden.  —  Public  Institutions.  —  Sheep-raising. 

—  Brisbane,  Capital  of  Queensland. —  The  Aboriginal  Race.  —  Native 
Legends.  —  The  Boomerang.  —  Island  of  Tasmania.  —  How  named. 

—  Launceston.  —  Hobart,  the  Capital.  —  Local  Scenes.  —  A  Pros- 
perous Country ,     .     # 62 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Embark  for  New  Zealand. — The  Albatross.  —  Experiments  with  Sea 
Water.  —  Oil  upon  the  Waves.  —  Geography  of  New  Zealand.  — 
Mineral  Wealth.  —  City  of  Dunedin.  —  Public  Schools.  —  Native 
Cannibals.  —  Christchurch.  —  A  Wonderful  Bird.  —  Wellington, 
Capital  of  New  Zealand.  —  Habits  of  the  Natives.  —  The  Race  of 
Maori  Indians.  —  Liability  to  Earthquakes.  —  A  Submerged  Volcano 
in  Cook's  Strait 81 

CHAPTER    VII. 

City  of  Auckland,  New  Zealand.  —  A  Land  of  Volcanoes.  —  Suburbs  of 
the  Northern  Metropolis.  —  The  Kauri-Tree.  —  Native  Flowers.  — 
The  Hot  Lake  District.  —  A  New  Zealand  Forest.  —  A  Vegetable 
Boa-constrictor.  —  Sulphureous  Hot  Springs.  —  Fiery  Caldrons.  — 
Indian  town  of  Ohinemutu.  —  Typical  Home  of  the  Natives.  — Ma- 
ori Manners  and  Customs.  — The  Favorable  Position  of  New  Zealand. 

—  Its  Probable  Future 93 

CHAPTER   VIII, 

Arrival  in  India.  —  Insect  and  Reptile  Life.  —  Madura.  —  City  of  Trichi- 
nopoly.  —  Car  of  Juggernaut. — Temple  of  Tanjore.  —  Travelling  in 
India. —  Madras.  —  Street  Dancing  Girls.  —  Arrival  at  Calcutta. — 
Cremating  the  Dead.  —  A  Fashionable  Driveway. — The  Himalayan 


CONTENTS.  Vli 

PAGE 

Mountains.  —  Apex  of  the  Globe.  —  Tea  Gardens  of  India.  —  A 
Wretched  Peasantry.  —  Ancient  Ruins.  —  City  of  Benares.  —  Worship 
of  Animals.  —  Cawnpore.  —  Delhi.  —  Agra.  —  A  Splendid  Tomb  .     .105 

CHAPTER   IX. 

Native  City  of  Jeypore.  —  Poppy  and  Opium-raising.  —  Bombay.  —  The 
Parsees.  —  The  Towers  of  Silence.  —  Historical  View  of  India.  — 
Voyage  to  the  Red  Sea.  —  Cairo,  Capital  of  Egypt.  —  Local  Scenes.  — 
The  Turkish  Bazaars.  —  Pyramids  of  Gizeh.  —  The  Sphinx.  —  The 
Desert.  —  Eg}'pt,  Past  and  Present.  —  Voyage  to  Malta.  —  City  of 
Valetta.  —  Church  of  St.  John.  —  Gibraltar.  —  View  from  the  Signal 
Station. —  English  Outposts 122 

CHAPTER  X. 

Tangier,  Capital  of  Morocco.  —  An  Oriental  City.  —  Slave  Market.  — 
Characteristic  Street  Scenes.  —  Malaga,  Spain.  —  A  Neglected  Coun- 
try.—  Grenada.  —  The  Alhambra. — The  Banished  Moors. —  Cor- 
dova and  its  Cathedral-Mosque.  —  Madrid,  Capital  of  Spain.  —  Museo 
Art  Gallery.  —  Sunday  in  the  Metropolis. — Toledo.  —  The  Escurial. 
—  Burgos.  —  San  Sebastian. —  Bayonne.  —  Spain,  Past  and  Present.  — 
Bordeaux. —  Rural  Scenery  in  France 141 

CHAPTER   XI. 

City  of  Paris.  —  Sunday  in  the  French  Capital.  — The  Flower  Market.  — 
Notre  Dame.  —  The  Morgue.  — Pere  la  Chaise.  — The  .Story  of  Joan 
of  x\rc.  —  Educational  Advantages.  —  City  of  Lyons.  —  Marseilles.  — 
Nice.  —  Cimies.  —  Mentone.  —  The  Principality  of  Monaco.  —  A 
Gambling  Resort.  —  Mediterranean  Scenes.  —  Over  the  Corniche 
Road.  —  City  of  Genoa.  —  Marble  Palaces.  —  Italian  Navigation. — 
The  Campo  Santo  or  Burial  Ground 164 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Port  of  Leghorn.  —  Ancient  City  of  Pisa.  —  Remarkable  Monuments.  — 
The  Bay  of  Naples.  —  Neapolitan  Beggars.  —  A  Favorite  Drive. — 
Out-of-door  Life.  —  Vesuvius. —  Art  Treasures  of  the  Museum. — 
Pompeii.  —  Environs  of  Naples.  —  Rome,  the  "  Eternal  City."  —  Lo- 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

cal  Scenes.  —  Artists'  Models.  —  Favorite  Promenade.  —  The  Colis- 
seum.  —  St.  Peter's.  —  Florence  and  its  Environs.  —  Art  Treasures. 
—  Home  of  Dante  and  Michael  Angelo i8i 


CHAPTER   XIH. 

Venice. — The  Gondola.  —  On  the  Grand  Canal, — Venetian  History. — 
Piazza  of  St.  Mark.  —  Cathedral  of  San  Marco. — The  Campanile.  — 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts.  —  Doge's  Palace.  —  Tombs  of  Titian  and 
Canova.  —  Milan.  —  The  Wonderful  Cathedral.  —  Original  Picture  of 
the  Last  Supper.  —  Olden  City  of  Pavia.  —  Innspruck,  Capital  of  the 
Tyrol.  —  Among  the  Alps.  —  Salzburg,  Birthplace  of  Mozart.  — 
Industries  of  German  Women 2CXD 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

Vienna,  the  Northern  Paris.  —  Art  Galleries  and  Museum.  —  Prague,  Capi- 
tal of  Bohemia. — Ancient  Dungeons.  —  Historic  Mention. —  Dres- 
den, Capital  of  Saxony. — The  Green  Vaults.  —  Berlin,  Capital  of 
Prussia.  —  Hamburg.  —  Copenhagen,  Capital  of  Denmark.  —  The 
Baltic  Sea.  —  Danish  Progress.  — Thorwaldsen.  —  Educational. — 
Palace  of  Rosenborg. —The  Round  Tower.  —  Elsinore  and  Shake- 
speare's Hamlet 215 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Gottenburg,  Sweden.  —  Intelligence  of  the  People.  —  The  Gotha  Canal. 

—  Trollhatta  Falls.  —  Christiania,  Capital  of  Norway.  —  Legal  Code. 

—  Public    Buildings.  —  Ancient   Viking    Ship.  —  Brief   Summers.  — 
Swedish  Women  in  the  Field.  —  Flowers  in  Arctic  Regions. — Nor 
wegian  Lakes.  —  Animals  of  the  North. — Mountains  and  Glaciers. 

—  A  Land  of  Fjords,  Cascades,  and  Lakes.  —  Dwellings  situated  like 
Eagles'  Nests 233 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Bergen,  Norway.  —  Local  Products  and  Scenes.  —  Environs  of  Bergen.  — 
The  Angler's  Paradise.  —  Trondhjem.  —  Story  of  King  Olaf. — A 
Cruel  Imprisonment.  —  Journey  Northward.  —  Night  turned  into 
Day.  —  Coast    of    Norway.  —  Education.  —  The    Arctic    Circle.  — 


CONTENTS.  ix 

PAGE 

Bodoe.  —  The  Lofoden  Islands.  —  The  Maelstrom.  —  Hardy  Arctic 
Fishermen.  —  The  Polar  Sea.  —  Varied  Attractions  of  Norway  to 
Travellers  and  Artists 247 

CHAPTER   XVH. 

Peculiar  Sleeplessness.  —  Tromsoe.  —  The  Aurora  Borealis.  —  Short- 
lived Summer.  —  Flowers. — Trees.  —  Laplanders  and  their  Posses- 
sions. —  Reindeers.  —  Customs  of  the  Lapps.  —  Search  for  Whales. — 
Arctic  Birds.  —  Influence  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  —  Hammerfest.  — The 
Far  North  Cape  and  the  Polar  Ocean.  —  The  Midnight  Sun.  —  Stock- 
holm, Capital  of  Sweden.  —  Royal  Palace.  —  Historic  Upsala. — 
Linnaeus,  the  Naturalist.  —  Crossing  the  Baltic  and  Gulf  of  Finland   .  261 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

o 

Abo.  —  Helsingfors,  Capital  of  Finland.  —  Remarkable  Fortress  of  Swea- 
borg.  —  Fortifications  of  Cronstadt.  —  Up  the  Neva  to  St.  Peters- 
burg. —  Grandest  City  of  Northern  Europe.  —  Street  Scenes  in  Rus- 
sia.—  Occupations  of  the  Sabbath. — The  Drosky. —  Royal  Palaces 
of  the  Tzar.  —  Noble  Art  Gallerv.  —  Celebrated  Librarv.  —  Public 
Monuments.  —  Winter  Season 275 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

Palace  of  Petershoff.  —  Peter  the  Great.  —  Religious  Denominations.  — 
On    the   Way   to   Moscow.  —  Through  the  Forests.  —  City  of  Tver. 

—  The  Volga.  —  Water-ways  of  Russia.  —  Picturesque  Moscow. — 
The  Kremlin.  —  Churches.  —  Cathedral  of  St.  Basil.  —  Treasury  of 
the  Kremlin.  —  Royal  Robes  and  Crowns.  —  A  Page  from  History.  — 
University  of  Moscow.  —  Sacred  Pigeons.  —  Prevalence  of  Beggary 

in  the  Oriental  Capital 288 

CHAPTER    XX. 

Nijni-Novgorod.  — Valley  of  the  Volga.  —  One  of  the  Great  Rivers  of  the 
World.  —  Famous  Annual  Fair-Ground.  —  Variety  of  Merchandise. 

—  A  Conglomerate  of  Races.  —  A  Large  Temporary  City.  —  From 
Moscow  to  Warsaw.  —  W^olves.  —  The  Granary  of  Europe.  —  Polish 
Peasants.  —  City  of  Warsaw.  — Topography  of  the  Capital.  —  Royal 
Residences.  —  Botanical  Gardens.  —  Political  Condition  of  Poland.  — 
Commercial  Prosperity.  —  Shameful  Despotism 298 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

PAGE 

Munich,  Capital  of  Bavaria.  — Trying  Employments  of  the  Women.  —  A 
Beer-Drinking  Community.  —  Frankfort- on- the- Main.  —  Luther's 
Home.  —  Goethe's  Birthplace.  —  Cologne  on  the  Rhine. — The 
Grand  Cathedral. — iVntwerp,  Belgium.  —  Rubens'  Burial  Place. — 
Art  Treasures  in  the  Cathedral.  —  Switzerland.  —  Bale.  —  Lau- 
sanne. —  Geneva.  —  Lake  Leman.  —  Vevay.  —  Berne,  Capital  of 
Switzerland.  —  Lucerne. — Zurich.  —  Schaffhausen      ,,,...  310 

CHAPTER   XXH. 

London,  the  Metropolis  of  the  World.  —  Some  of  its  Institutions. — The 
Tower  of  London.  —  Statistics  of  the  Great  City.  —  Ancient  Chester. 
—  Rural  England. —  Stratford-on-Avon.  —  Edinburgh,  Scotland. — 
Remarkable  Monuments.  —  Abbotsford.  —  Rural  Scotland.  —  Glas- 
gow.—  Greenock.  —  Across  the  Irish  Sea  to  Belfast.  —  Queen's  Col- 
lege.—  Dublin,  the  Capital  of  Ireland.  —  Grand  Public  Buildings.     .  321 

CHAPTER   XXIIL 

Nassau,  New  Providence.  —  Trees,  Flowers,  and  Fruits.  —  Curious  Sea 
Gardens.  —  The  Finny  Tribes.  —  Fresh  W^ater  Supply.  —  Tropical 
Skies.  —  The  Gulf  Stream.  —  Santiago  de  Cuba. —  Cienfuegos. — 
Sugar  Plantations.  —  Cuban  Fruits.  —  Peculiarities  of  the  Banana.  — 
A  Journey  across  the  Island  to  Matanzas.  —  Inland  Experiences.  — 
Characteristic  Scenes. — The  Royal  Palm 334 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Discovery  of  Cuba  by  Columbus.  —  The  Native  Race.  —  Historical  Mat- 
ters.—  Headquarters  of  Spanish  Military  Operations  in  the  West. — 
Invasion  of  Mexico  by  Cortez.  —  African  Slave  Trade.  —  Peculiarities 
of  the  Caribbean  Sea.  —  Geography  of  the  Island  of  Cuba.  —  City  of 
Matanzas.  —  Havana,  the  Capital.  —  The  Alameda.  —  The  Cathe- 
dral. —  iSIihtary  Mass.  —  A  Wonderfully  Fertile  Island.  —  Reflections.  349 


FOOT-PRINTS  OF  TRAVEL; 


OR, 


JOURNEYINGS    IN    MANY     LANDS. 


-00^:^00- 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  title  of  the  book  in  hand  is  sufficiently  expressive 
of  its  purpose.  We  shall  follow  the  course  of  the 
sun,  but  diverge  wherever  the  peculiarities  of  different 
countries  prove  attractive.  As  the  author  will  conduct  his 
readers  only  among  scenes  and  over  routes  which  he  himself 
has  travelled,  it  is  hoped  that  he  may  be  able  to  impart  a 
portion  of  the  enjoyment  experienced,  and  the  knowledge 
gained  in  many  foreign  lands  and  on  many  distant  seas. 

Starting  from  the  city  of  Boston  by  railway,  we  pass 
at  express  speed  through  the  length  of  Massachusetts 
from  east  to  west,  until  we  arrive  at  Hoosac,  where  the 
famous  tunnel  of  that  name  is  situated.  This  remarkable 
excavation,  five  miles  in  length,  was  cut  through  the  solid 
rock  of  Hoosac  Mountain  to  facilitate  transportation  be- 
tween Boston  and  the  West,  at  a  cost  of  twenty  years  of 
labor  and  sixteen  millions  of  dollars  ;  a  sum,  which,  were 
it  divided,  would  amount  to  over  five  dollars  per  head  for 
every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  State. 


2  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

By  a  continuous  day's  journey  from  Boston,  we  reach 
Niagara  late  at  night.  The  best  view  of  the  falls,  which 
form  the  grandest  cataract  on  the  globe,  is  to  be  enjoyed 
from  the  Canada  side  of  the  Niagara  River.  In  the  midst 
of  the  falls  is  Goat  Island,  dividing  them  into  two  un- 
equal parts,  one  of  which  forms  the  American,  and  the 
other  the  Horse  Shoe  Fall,  so  called  from  its  shape, 
which  is  on  the  Canada  side.  As  we  gaze  upon  this  re- 
markable exhibition  of  natural  force,  a  column  of  vapor 
rises  two  hundred  feet  above  the  avalanche  of  waters, 
white  as  snow  where  it  is  absorbed  into  the  skies,  the  base 
being  wreathed  with  perpetual  rainbows.  A  canal,  start- 
ing from  a  convenient  point  above  the  falls  and  extending 
to  a  point  below  the  rapids,  utilizes  for  mill  purposes  an 
infinitesimal  portion  of  the  enormous  power  which  is  run- 
ning to  waste,  night  and  day,  just  as  it  has  been  doing  for 
hundreds  of  years.  It  is  well  known  that  many  centuries 
ago  these  falls  were  six  miles  nearer  to  Lake  Ontario  than 
they  now  are,  making  it  evident  that  a  steady  wearing 
"away  of  the  rock  and  soil  is  all  the  time  progressing.  The 
inference  seems  to  be  plain  enough.  After  the  lapse  of 
ages  these  mammoth  falls  may  have  receded  so  far  as  to 
open  with  one  terrific  plunge  the  eastern  end  of  Lake  Erie. 
Long  before  the  Falls  are  reached  we  hear  the  mighty 
roar  which  made  the  Indians  call  the  cataract  Niagara, 
or  "the  thunder  of  the  waters."  On  leaving  here,  we 
cross  the  river  by  a  suspension  bridge,  which,  from  a  short 
distance,  looks  like  a  mere  spider's  web.  Over  this  the 
cars  move  slowly,  affording  a  superb  view  of  the  Falls  and 
of  the  awful  chasm  below. 

But  let  us  not  dwell  too  long  upon  so  familiar  a  theme. 
After  a  day  and  night  in  the  cars,  travelling  westward,  Chi- 

RBC 
NcU 


yOURNEYINGS    IN  MANY  LANDS.  3 

cago,  the  capital  of  Illinois,  is  reached.  About  sixty  years 
asfo  a  scattered  tribe  of  the  Pottawatomies  inhabited  the 
spot  on  the  shore  of  Lake  ^Michigan,  where  is  now  situated 
the  most  important  capital  of  the  North  Western  States. 
In  1837  the  city  was  formed  with  less  than  five  thousand 
inhabitants  ;  at  this  writing  it  has  nearly  a  million.  Such 
rapid  growth  has  no  parallel  in  America  or  elsewhere. 
This  commercial  increase  is  the  natural  result  of  its  situa- 
tion at  the  head  of  the  great  chain  of  lakes.  In  size  it  is 
a  little  over  seven  miles  in  length  by  five  in  width,  giving 
it  an  area  of  about  forty  square  miles.  The  city  is  now 
the  centre  of  a  railroad  system  embracing  fifteen  important 
trunk  lines,  forming  the  largest  grain,  lumber,  and  live- 
stock market  in  the  world.  One  hundred  and  sixty  mil- 
lion bushels  of  grain  have  passed  through  its  elevators  in 
a  twelvemonth. 

On  our  way  westward,  we  stop  for  a  day  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  the  capital  of  Utah,  some  sixteen  hundred  miles  from 
Chicago.  The  site  of  the  present  town  was  an  unbroken 
wilderness  so  late  as  1838,  but  it  now  boasts  a  population  of 
twenty-six  thousand  souls.  The  peculiar  people  who  have 
established  themselves  here,  have  by  industry  and  a  com- 
plete system  of  irrigation,  brought  the  entire  valley  to  a 
degree  of  fertility  unsurpassed  by  the  same  number  of 
square  miles  on  this  continent.  It  is  not  within  our 
province  to  discuss  the  domestic  life  of  the  ^Mormons.  No 
portrait  of  them,  however,  will  prove  a  likeness  which  does 
not  clearly  depict  their  twofold  features  ;  namely,  their 
thrift  and  their  iniquity.  Contact  with  a  truer  condition 
of  civilization,  and  the  enforcement  of  United  States  laws, 
are  slowly,  but  it  is  believed  surely,  reducing  the  numbers 
of  the  self-entitled  "saints."     Mormon  missionaries,  how- 


4  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

ever,  still  seek  to  make  proselytes  in  France,  Norway, 
Sweden,  and  Great  Britain,  addressing  themselves  always 
to  the  most  ignorant  classes.  These  poor  half-starved 
creatures  are  helped  to  emigrate,  believing  that  they  are 
coming  to  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  In  most 
cases  any  change  with  them  would  be  for  their  advantage  ; 
and  so  the  ranks  of  Mormonism  are  recruited,  not  from 
any  truly  religious  impulse  in  the  new  disciples,  but 
through  a  desire  to  better  their  physical  condition. 

From  Utah,  two  days  and  a  night  passed  in  the  cars  will 
take  us  over  the  six  hundred  intervening  miles  to  San 
Francisco.  The  route  passes  through  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains,  presenting  scenery  which  recalls  the  grand 
gorges  and  snow-clad  peaks  of  Switzerland  and  Norway, 
characterized  by  deep  canyons,  lofty  wooded  elevations, 
and  precipitous  declivities.  At  the  several  railway  stations 
specimens  of  the  native  Shoshones,  Piutes,  and  other  tribes 
of  Indians  are  seen  lazily  sunning  themselves  in  pictur- 
esque groups.  The  men  are  dirty  and  uncouth  examples 
of  humanity,  besmeared  with  yellow  ochre  and  vermilion  ; 
their  dress  consisting  of  loose  flannel  blankets  and  deer- 
skin leggings,  their  rude  hats  decked  with  eagle  feathers. 
The  women  are  wrapped  in  striped  blankets  and  wear  red 
flannel  leggings,  both  sexes  being  furnished  with  buckskin 
moccasins.  The  women  are  fond  of  cheap  ornaments,  col- 
ored glass  beads,  and  brass  ear-rings.  About  every  other 
one  has  a  baby  strapped  to  her  back  in  a  flat  basket.  Men 
and  squaws  wear  their  coarse  jet-black  hair  in  long,  untidy 
locks,  hanging  over  their  bronzed  necks  and  faces.  War, 
whiskey,  and  want  of  proper  food  are  gradually  blotting  out 
the  aboriginal  tribes  of  America. 

San  Francisco,  less  than  forty  years  of  age,  is  the  com- 


yoURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  5 

mercial  metropolis  of  California,  which  State,  if  it  lay  upon 
the  Atlantic  coast,  would  extend  from  Massachusetts  to 
South  Carolina.  It  covers  a  territory  five  times  as  large 
as  the  whole  of  the  New  England  States  combined,  possess- 
ing, especially  in  its  southern  division,  a  climate  presenting 
most  of  the  advantages  of  the  tropics  with  but  few  of  the 
objections  which  appertain  to  the  low  latitudes.  The 
population  of  San  Francisco  already  reaches  an  aggregate 
of  nearly  four  hundred  thousand.  Owing  its  first  popular 
attraction  to  the  discovery  of  gold  within  its  borders,  in 
1849,  California  has  long  since  developed  an  agricultural 
capacity  exceeding  the  value  of  its  mineral  productions. 
The  future  promise  and  possibilities  of  its  trade  and  com- 
merce defy  calculation. 

The  Cliff  House,  situated  four  or  five  miles  from  the 
centre  of  the  city,  is  a  favorite  pleasure  resort  of  the  popu- 
lation. It  stands  on  a  bluff  of  the  Pacific  shore,  affording 
an  ocean  view  limited  only  by  the  power  of  the  human 
vision.  As  we  look  due  west  from  this  spot,  no  land  inter- 
venes between  us  and  the  far-away  shore  of  Japan.  Oppo- 
site the  Cliff  House,  three  hundred  yards  from  the  shore, 
there  rises  abruptly  out  of  the  sea,  from  a  depth  of  many 
fathoms,  a  rough,  precipitous  rock,  sixty  or  seventy  feet  in 
height,  presenting  about  an  acre  of  surface.  Sea-lions 
come  out  of  the  water  in  large  numbers  to  sun  themselves 
upon  this  rock,  affording  an  amusing  sight  from  the  shore. 
These  animals  are  of  all  sizes,  according  to  age,  weighing 
from  fifty  to  one  thousand  pounds,  and  possessing  sufficient 
muscular  power  to  enable  them  to  climb  the  rock,  where  a 
hundred  are  often  seen  at  a  time.  The  half  roar,  half  bark 
peculiar  to  these  creatures,  sounds  harsh  upon  the  ear  of 
the  listeners  at  the  Cliff.     The  law  of  the  State  protects 


6  FOOT-PKINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

them  from  molestation,  but  they  quarrel  furiously  among 
themselves.  The  sea-lion  belongs  to  the  seal  family  and  is 
the  largest  of  its  species. 

A  week  can  hardly  be  more  profitably  occupied  upon  our 
route  than  by  visiting  the  Yosemite  Valley,  where  the 
grandeur  of  the  Alpine  scenery  is  unsurpassed,  and  where 
there  are  forests  which  produce  giant  trees  of  over  three 
hundred  feet  in  height  and  over  thirty  in  diameter.  The 
ascent  of  the  mountain  which  forms  the  barrier  to  the  val- 
ley, commences  at  a  place  called  Clark's,  the  name  of  the 
person  who  keeps  the  hotel,  and  which  is  the  only  dwelling- 
house  in  the  neighborhood.  The  stage  is  drawn  upwards 
over  a  precipitous,  winding  road,  by  relays  of  six  stout 
horses,  to  an  elevation  of  seven  thousand  feet,  leaving 
behind  nearly  all  signs  of  human  habitation.  A  mournful 
air  of  loneliness  surrounds  us  as  we  creep  slowly  towards 
the  summit ;  but  how  grand  and  inspiring  are  the  views 
which  are  seen  from  the  various  points  !  One  falls  to 
analyzing  the  natural  architecture  of  these  mountain  peaks, 
gulches,  and  cliffs,  fancy  making  out  at  times  well-defined 
Roman  circuses  ;  again,  castellated  crags  come  into  view, 
resembling  half-ruined  castles  on  the  Rhine  ;  other  crags 
are  like  Turkish  minarets,  while  some  rocky  ranges  are 
dome-capped  like  St.  Peter's  at  Rome.  Far  below  them 
all  we  catch  glimpses  of  dark  ravines  of  unknown  depths, 
where  lonely  mist-wreaths  rest  like  snow-drifts. 

Nestling  beside  the  roadway,  there  are  seen  here  and 
there  pale  wild-flowers  surrounded  by  vigorous  ferns  and 
creeping  vines,  showing  that  even  here,  in  these  lofty 
and  deserted  regions,  Nature  has  her  poetic  moods.  Birds 
almost  entirely  disappear  at  these  altitudes,  preferring  the 
more   genial   atmosphere  of   the  plains,  though  now  and 


Page  7. 


MIRROR  LAKE,  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  7 

again  an  eagle,  with  broad  spread  pinions,  is  seen  to 
swoop  gracefully  from  the  top  of  some  lonely  pine,  and 
sail  with  unmoving  wings  far  away  across  the  depth  of  the 
valley  until  hidden  by  the  windings  of  the  gorge.  Even 
the  presence  of  this  proud  and  kingly  bird  but  serves  to 
emphasize  the  loneliness  of  these  silent  heights. 

By  and  by  the  loftiest  portion  of  the  road  is  reached  at 
what  is  known  as  Inspiration  Point,  whence  a  comprehen- 
sive view  is  afforded  of  the  far-famed  valley.  Though  we 
stand  here  at  an  elevation  of  over  seven  thousand  feet 
above  the  plains  so  lately  crossed,  still  the  Yosemite  Val- 
ley, into  which  we  are  gazing  with  awe  and  admiration,  is 
but  about  three  thousand  five  hundred  feet  below  us.  It 
runs  east  and  west,  appearing  quite  contracted  from  this 
great  height,  but  is  eight  miles  long  by  over  one  in  width. 
On  either  side  rise  vertical  cliffs  of  granite,  varying  from 
three  to  four  thousand  feet  in  height,  several  of  the  lofty 
gorges  discharging  narrow  but  strikingly  beautiful  and 
transparent  water-falls.  Upon  descending  into  the  valley, 
we  find  ourselves  surrounded  by  precipitous  mountains, 
nearly  a  score  in  number,  the  loftiest  of  which  is  entitled 
Starr  King,  after  the  late  clergyman  of  that  name,  and  is 
five  thousand  six  hundred  feet  in  height.  But  the  Three 
Brothers,  with  an  average  height  of  less  than  four  thousand 
feet,  and  Sentinel  Dome,  measuring  four  thousand  five  hun- 
dred feet  high,  seem  to  the  casual  observer  to  be  quite  as 
prominent,  while  El  Capitan,  which  is  about  three  thou- 
sand three  hundred  feet  in  height,  appears  from  its  more 
favorable  position  to  be  the  most  striking  and  effective  of 
them  all.  Eleven  water-falls  of  greater  or  less  magnitude 
come  tumbling  into  the  valley,  adding  to  the  picturesque- 
ness  of  the  scene.     Of  these  several  falls,  that  which  is 


8  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

known  as  the  Bridal  Veil  will  be  sure  to  strike  the  stranger 
as  the  finest,  though  not  the  loftiest.  The  constant  moist- 
ure and  the  vertical  rays  of  the  sun  carpet  the  level  plain 
of  the  valley  with  a  bright  and  uniform  verdure,  through 
the  midst  of  which  winds  the  swift-flowing  Merced  River, 
adding  completeness  to  a  scene  of  rare  and  enchanting 
beauty. 

It  was  not  until  so  late  as  the  year  185 1  that  the  foot  of 
a  white  man  ever  trod  the  valley,  which  had  for  years 
proven  the  secure  hiding-place  of  marauding  Indians.  In 
their  battles  with  the  whites,  the  latter  were  often  sur- 
prised by  the  sudden  disappearance  of  their  foes,  who  van- 
ished mysteriously,  leaving  no  traces  behind  them.  On 
these  occasions,  as  was  afterwards  discovered,  they  fled  to 
the  almost  inaccessible  Yosemite  Valley.  Betrayed  at  last 
by  a  treacherous  member  of  their  own  tribe,  the  Indians 
were  surprised  and  nearly  all  destroyed.  There  is  scarcely 
a  resident  in  the  valley  except  those  connected  with  the 
running  of  the  stages  during  the  summer  months,  and 
those  who  are  attached  to  the  hotel.  It  is  quite  inacces- 
sible in  winter.  An  encampment  of  native  Indians  is  gen- 
erally to  be  seen  in  the  warm  months,  located  on  the  river's 
bank,  under  the  shade  of  a  grove  of  tall  trees  ;  the  river 
and  the  forest  afford  these  aborigines  ample  food.  For 
winter  use  they  store  a  crop  of  acorns,  which  they  dry,  and 
grind  into  a  nourishing  flour.  They  are  a  dirty,  sad-looking 
race,  far  more  repulsive  in  appearance  than  the  lowest  type 
of  Spanish  gypsies  one  meets  in  Andalusia. 

In  returning  from  the  Yosemite  to  San  Francisco,  let  us 
do  so  by  the  road  leading  through  the  Mariposa  Grove  of 
Big  Trees.  These  forest  monarchs  are  situated  in  a  thickly 
wooded  glade  hundreds  of  feet  up  the  slope  of  the  Sierra. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  9 

• 

We  find  one  of  these  trees  partially  decayed  towards  its 
base,  yet  still  alive  and  standing  upright  with  a  broad,  lofty 
passage-way  through  its  entire  trunk,  large  enough  for  our 
stage,  laden  with  passengers  inside  and  out,  to  drive 
through.  Though  time  has  made  such  havoc  with  this 
trunk,  it  still  possesses  sufficient  vitality  to  bear  leaves 
upon  its  topmost  branches,  some  three  hundred  feet  above 
the  ground.  It  is  curious  that  these  enormous  trees,  among 
the  largest  upon  the  globe,  have  cones  only  about  the 
size  of  walnuts,  with  seeds  of  hardly  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
in  length.  There  are  trunks  lying  upon  the  ground  in  this 
remarkable  grove  which  are  believed  to  be  two  thousand 
years  of  age ;  and  others  upright,  and  in  growing  con- 
dition, which  are  reckoned  by  their  clearly  defined  annual 
rings,  to  be  thirteen  hundred  years  old.  The  region  em- 
braced in  what  is  known  as  the  Yosemite  Valley  has  been 
ceded  by  the  National  Government  to  the  State  of  Califor- 
nia, on  the  express  condition  that  it  shall  be  kept  inviolate 
in  its  present  wild  and  natural  state  for  all  time. 

The  streets,  alleys,  and  boulevards  of  San  Francisco  pre- 
sent a  panorama  of  human  interest  rarely  excelled  in  any 
part  of  the  world.  How  impressive  to  watch  its  cosmopol- 
itan life,  to  note  the  exaggerated  love  of  pleasure  exhibited 
on  all  hands,  the  devotion  of  each  active  member  of  the 
community  to  money-making,  the  prevailing  manners  and 
customs,  the  iniquitous  pursuits  of  the  desperate  and  dan- 
gerous classes,  and  the  readiness  of  their  too  willing  vic- 
tims !  It  is  the  solitary  looker-on  who  sees  more  than  the 
actors  in  the  great  drama  of  every-day  life.  Above  all,  it  is 
most  curious  to  observe  how  the  lines  of  barbarism  and 
ci\'ilization  intersect  along  these  teeming  avenues. 

There  is  a  district  of  the  city  near  its  very  centre,  known 


lO  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

as  Chinatown,  which  is  at  total  variance  with  the  general 
surroundings.  It  requires  but  a  slight  stretch  of  the  imag- 
ination after  passing  its  borders  to  believe  one's  self  in  Can- 
ton or  Hong  Kong,  except  that  the  thoroughfares  in  the 
Asiatic  capitals  are  mere  alleys  in  width,  shut  in  overhead 
and  darkened  by  straw  mats,  while  here  we  have  broad 
streets  after  the  American  and  European  fashion,  open  to 
the  sky.  They  are,  however,  lined  with  Chinese  shops, 
decked  in  all  their  national  peculiarities,  exhibiting  the 
most  grotesque  signs,  while  the  windows  are  crowded  with 
outlandish  articles,  and  the  whole  surrounded  by  an  Oriental 
atmosphere.  This  section  is  almost  entirely  peopled  by 
Mongolians,  and  such  poor  abandoned  men  and  women  of 
other  nationalities  as  seek  among  these  repulsive  surround- 
ings to  hide  themselves  from  the  shame  and  penalty  of 
their  crimes. 

It  is  not  proposed  in  these  Foot-Prints  of  Travel  to  re- 
main long  on  this  continent.  Americans  are  presumed  to 
be  quite  familiar  with  their  native  land  ;  so  we  will  embark 
without  delay  upon  a  voyage  across  the  Pacific  Ocean  to 
Japan,  by  way  of  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Once  on  board 
ship,  we  quickly  pass  through  the  Golden  Gate,  as  the  en- 
trance to  the  spacious  harbor  of  San  Francisco  is  called, 
steering  south-southwest  towards  the  Hawaiian  group, 
which  is  situated  a  little  over  two  thousand  miles  away. 
The  great  seas  and  oceans  of  the  globe,  like  the  land,  have 
their  geographical  divisions  and  local  peculiarities,  varying 
essentially  in  temperature,  products,  and  moods ;  now 
marked  by  certain  currents  ;  now  noted  for  typhoons  and 
hurricanes  ;  and  now  lying  in  latitudes  which  are  favored 
with  almost  constant  calms  and  unvarying  sunshine.  By  a 
glance  at  the  map  we  shall  see  that  a  vessel  taking  her 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  II 

course  for  New  Zealand,  for  instance,  by  the  way  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  will  pass  through  a  tract  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean  seemingly  so  full  of  islands  that  we  are  led  to  wonder 
how  a  ship  pursuing  such  a  route  can  avoid  running  foul 
of  some  of  the  Polynesian  groups.  But  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  distances  which  are  so  concisely  depicted  to 
our  eyes  upon  the  map,  are  yet  vast  in  reality,  while  so 
mathematically  exact  are  the  rules  of  navigation,  and  so 
well  known  are  the  prevailing  currents,  that  a  steamship 
may  make  the  voyage  from  Honolulu  to  Auckland,  a  dis- 
tance of  four  thousand  miles,  without  sighting  land. 
When  Magellan,  the  Portuguese  navigator,  first  discovered 
this  great  ocean,  after  sailing  through  the  straits  which 
bear  his  name,  he  called  it  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  perhaps 
it  seemed  "  pacific  "  to  him  after  a  stormy  voyage  in  the 
Caribbean  Sea ;  but  portions  of  its  surface  are  quite  as 
restless  and  tempest-tossed  as  are  the  waters  of  any  part 
of  the  globe.  The  Pacific  measures  nine  thousand  miles 
from  north  to  south,  and  is  ten  thousand  miles  broad  be- 
tween Quito,  South  America,  and  the  Moluccas  or  Spice 
Islands.  At  the  extreme  north,  where  Behring's  Strait 
divides  the  continents  of  Asia  and  America,  it  is  scarcely 
more  than  forty  miles  in  width,  so  that  in  clear  weather 
one  can  see  the  shores  of  Asia  while  standing  on  our  own 
continent. 

It  is  an  eight  days'  voyage  by  steamship  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  Honolulu,  giving  the  traveller  ample  time  to  fa- 
miliarize himself  with  many  peculiarities  of  this  waste 
of  waters.  Occasionally  a  whale  is  sighted,  throwing 
up  a  small  column  of  water  as  it  rises  at  intervals  to 
the  surface.  A  whale  is  not  a  fish  ;  it  differs  materially 
from  the  finny  tribe,  and  can  as  surely  be  drowned  as  can 


12  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

a  man.  Whales  bring  forth  hving  young ;  they  breathe 
atmospheric  air  through  their  lungs  in  place  of  water 
through  gills,  having  also  a  double  heart  and  warm  blood, 
like  land  animals.  Flying-fish  are  frequently  seen,  queer 
little  creatures,  resembling  the  smelts  of  our  northern 
waters.  While  exhibiting  the  nature  of  a  fish,  they  have 
also  the  soaring  ambition  of  a  bird.  Hideous,  man-eating 
sharks  are  sure  to  follow  in  the  ship's  wake,  watching  for 
some  unfortunate  victim  of  a  sailor  or  passenger  who  may 
fall  overboard,  and  eagerly  devouring  any  refuse  thrown 
from  the  cook's  galley.  At  times  the  many-armed  cuttle- 
fish is  seen  to  leap  out  of  the  water,  while  the  star-fish, 
with  its  five  arms  of  equal  length,  abounds.  Though  it 
seems  so  apparently  lifeless,  the  star-fish  can  be  quite  ag- 
gressive when  pressed  by  hunger,  having,  as  naturalists 
tell  us,  a  mysterious  way  of  causing  the  oyster  to  open  its 
shell,  when  it  proceeds  gradually  to  consume  the  body  of 
the  bivalve.  One  frail,  small  rover  of  the  deep  is  sure  to 
interest  the  voyager ;  namely,  the  tiny  nautilus,  with  its 
transparent  covering,  almost  as  frail  as  writing-paper.  No 
wonder  the  ancient  Greeks  saw  in  its  beautifully  corru- 
gated shell  the  graceful  model  of  a  galley,  and  hence  its 
name,  derived  from  the  Greek  word  which  signifies  a  ship. 
Sometimes  a  pale  gray,  amber-like  substance  is  seen  float- 
ing upon  the  surface  of  the  sea,  which,  upon  examination, 
proves  to  be  ambergris,  a  substance  originally  found  in  the 
body  of  the  sperm,  whale,  and  which  is  believed  to  be  pro- 
duced there  only.  Scientists  declare  it  to  be  a  secretion 
caused  by  disease  in  the  animal,  probably  induced  by  in- 
digestion, as  the  pearl  is  said  to  be  a  diseased  secretion  of 
the  Australian  and  Penang  oysters.  Ambergris  is  not  in- 
frequently found  floating  along  the  shores  of  the  Coral  Sea, 


yOURNEYIXGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 3 

and  about  the  west  coast  of  New  Zealand,  having  been 
ejected  by  the  whales  which  frequent  these  waters.  When 
first  taken  from  the  animal  it  is  of  a  soft  texture,  and  is 
offensive  to  the  smell ;  but  after  a  brief  exposure  to  the  air 
it  rapidly  hardens,  and  then  emits  a  sweet,  earthy  odor, 
and  is  used  in  manufacturing  choice  perfumery. 

The  harbor  of  San  Francisco  abounds  in  big,  white  sea- 
gulls, which  fly  fearlessly  in  and  out  among  the  shipping, 
uttering  defiant  screams,  or  floating  gracefully  like  corks 
upon  the  water.  They  are  large,  handsome,  dignified 
birds,  and  are  never  molested,  being  looked  upon  as  pictur- 
esque ornaments  to  the  harbor ;  and  they  are  also  the  most 
active  of  scavengers,  removing  all  sorts  of  floating  carrion 
and  refuse  which  is  thrown  overboard.  The  gulls  one  sees 
off  the  coast  of  Norway  are  numbered  by  thousands,  but 
they  are  not  nearly  so  large  as  these  bird  monarchs  of  the 
Pacific.  A  score  of  these  are  sure  to  accompany  us  to 
sea,  closely  following  the  ship  day  after  day,  living  mostly 
upon  the  refuse  thrown  out  from  the  steward's  depart- 
ment. In  the  month  of  October,  1884,  one  of  these  birds 
was  caught  by  the  passengers  upon  a  steamship  just  as 
she  was  leaving  the  coast  of  America  for  JajDan.  A  piece 
of  red  tape  was  made  fast  to  one  of  its  legs,  after  which  it 
was  restored  to  liberty.  This  identical  gull  followed  the 
ship  between  four  and  five  thousand  miles,  into  the  harbor 
of  Yokohama.  Distance  seems  to  be  of  little  account  to 
these  buoyant  navigators  of  the  air. 

On  approaching  the  Hawaiian  group  from  the  north, 
the  first  land  which  is  sighted  is  the  island  of  Oahu,  and 
soon  after  we  pass  along  the  windward  shores  of  Maui  and 
Molokai,  doubling  the  lofty  promontory  of  Diamond  Head, 
which  rears  its  precipitous  front  seven  hundred  feet  above 


14  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

the  sea.  We  arrive  at  the  dawn  of  day,  while  the  rising 
sun  beautifies  the  mountain  tops,  the  green  slopes,  the 
gulches,  and  fern-clad  hills,  which  here  and  there  sparkle 
with  silvery  streamlets.  The  gentle  morning  breeze  blow- 
ing off  the  land  brings  us  the  dewy  fragrance  of  the 
flowers,  which  has  been  distilled  from  a  wilderness  of  trop- 
ical bloom  during  the  night.  The  land  forms  a  shelter  for 
our  vessel,  and  we  glide  noiselessly  over  a  perfectly  calm 
sea.  As  we  draw  nearer  to  the  shore,  sugar  plantations, 
cocoanut  groves,  and  verdant  pastures  come  clearly  into 
view.  Here  and  there  the  shore  is  dotted  with  the  low, 
primitive  dwellings  of  the  natives,  and  occasionally  we  see 
picturesque,  vine-clad  cottages  of  American  or  European 
residents.  Approaching  still  nearer  to  the  city  of  Hono- 
lulu, it  seems  to  be  half-buried  in  a  cloud  of  luxuriant 
foliage,  while  a  broad  and  beautiful  valley  stretches  away 
from  the  town  far  back  among  the  lofty  hills. 

The  steamer  glides  at  half  speed  through  the  narrow 
channel  in  the  coral  reef  which  makes  the  natural  break- 
water of  the  harbor.  This  channel  is  carefully  buoyed  on 
either  side,  and  at  night  safety-lamps  are  placed  upon  each 
of  these  little  floating  beacons,  so  that  a  steamship  can 
find  her  way  in  even  after  nightfall.  Though  the  volcanic 
origin  of  the  land  is  plain,  it  is  not  the  sole  cause  of  these 
reefs  and  islands  appearing  thus  in  mid-ocean.  Upon  the 
flanks  of  the  upheaval  the  little  coral  animal,  with  tireless 
industry,  rears  its  amazing  structure,  until  it  reaches  the 
surface  of  the  waves  as  a  reef,  more  or  less  contiguous  to 
the  shore,  and  to  which  ages  finally  serve  to  join  it.  The 
tiny  creature  delegated  by  Providence  to  build  these  reefs 
dies  on  exposure  to  the  air,  its  work  being  then  completed. 
The  far-reaching  antiquity  of  the  islands  is  established  by 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 5 

these  very  coralline  formations,  which  could  only  have  at- 
tained their  present  elevation,  just  below  the  surface  of 
the  surrounding  sea,  by  the  growth  of  thousands  of  years. 
This  coral  formation  on  the  shores  of  the  Hawaiian 
group  is  not  peculiar  to  these  islands,  but  is  found  to  exist 
in  connection  with  nearly  all  of  those  existing  in  the  Paci- 
fic Ocean. 

The  lighthouse,  placed  on  the  inner  side  of  the  coral 
reef,  is  a  structure  not  quite  thirty  feet  in  height.  After 
reaching  the  inside  of  the  harbor  of  Honolulu,  the  anchor- 
age is  safe  and  sheltered,  with  ample  room  for  a  hundred 
large  vessels  at  the  same  time,  the  average  depth  of  water 
being  some  sixteen  fathoms.  The  wharves  are  spacious 
and  substantial,  built  with  broad,  high  coverings  to  protect 
laborers  from  the  heat  of  a  tropical  sun.  Honolulu  is  the 
commercial  port  of  the  whole  group  of  islands,  —  the  half- 
way house,  as  it  were,  between  North  America  and  Asia, 
—  California  and  the  new  world  of  Australasia. 


1 6  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 


CHAPTER   II. 

UPON  landing  at  Honolulu  we  find  ourselves  in  a  city 
of  some  twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  presenting  all 
the  modern  belongings  of  a  metropolis  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  such  as  schools,  churches,  hospitals,  charitable 
institutions,  gas,  electric  lights,  and  the  telephone.  Nearly 
all  of  the  rising  generation  can  read  and  write,  and  the 
entire  population  are  professed  Christians.  Great  is  the 
contrast  in  every  respect  between  these  islands  as  dis- 
covered by  Captain  Cook  in  1778,  and  their  present  con- 
dition. Originally  they  exhibited  the  same  barbarous 
characteristics  which  were  found  to  exist  in  other  islands 
of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  They  had  no  sense  of  domestic 
virtue,  and  were  victims  of  the  most  egregious  supersti- 
tions. "The  requisitions  of  their  idolatry,"  says  the 
historian  Ellis,  '^  were  severe,  and  its  rites  cruel  and 
bloody."  Their  idolatry  has  been  abandoned  since  18 19. 
In  the  early  days  the  several  islands  of  the  group  had  each 
a  separate  king,  and  wars  were  frequent  between  them, 
until  King  Kamehameha  finally  subjected  them  all  to  his 
sway,  and  formed  the  government  which  has  lasted  to  the 
present  time. 

Many  of  the  streets  of  Honolulu  afford  a  grateful  shade, 
the  sidewalks  being  lined  by  ornamental  trees,  of  which 
the  cocoanut,  palm,  bread-fruit,  candle-nut,  and  some 
others,  are  indigenous,  but  many  have  been  introduced 
from  abroad  and   have   become   domesticated.      The  tall 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 7 

mango-tree,  with  rich,  glossy  leaves,  the  branches  bend- 
ing under  the  weight  of  its  delicious  fruit,  is  seen  growing 
everywhere,  though  it  is  not  a  native  of  these  islands. 
Among  other  fruit-trees  we  observe  the  feathery  tama- 
rind, orange,  lime,  alligator-pear,  citron-fig,  date,  and  rose 
apple.  Of  all  the  flowering  trees,  the  most  conspicuous 
and  attractive  is  one  which  bears  a  cloud  of  brilliant 
scarlet  blossoms,  each  cluster  ball-shaped  and  as  large  as 
a  Florida  orange.  Some  of  the  thoroughfares  are  lined  by 
pretty,  low-built  cottages,  standing  a  few  rods  back  from 
the  roadway,  with  broad,  inviting  verandas,  the  whole 
festooned  and  nearly  hidden  by  tropical  and  semi-tropical 
plants  in  full  bloom.  If  we  drive  out  to  the  race-course  in 
the  environs,  we  shall  be  pretty  sure  to  see  King  Kalakaua, 
who  is  very  fond  of  this  sort  of  sport.  He  is  a  man  of 
intelligence  and  of  considerable  culture,  but  whose  personal 
habits  are  of  a  low  and  disgraceful  character.  He  has 
reached  his  fifty-second  year. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  women  ride  man-fashion 
here,  —  that  is,  astride  of  their  horses,  — and  there  is  a  good 
reason  for  this.  Even  European  and  American  ladies  who 
become  residents  also  adopt  this  mode  of  riding,  because 
side-saddles  are  not  considered  to  be  safe  on  the  steep 
mountain  roads.  If  one  rides  in  any  direction  here,  moun- 
tains must  be  crossed.  The  native  women  deck  them- 
selves in  an  extraordinary  manner  wdth  flowers  on  all  gala 
occasions,  while  the  men  wear  wreaths  of  the  same  about 
their  straw  hats,  often  adding  braids  of  laurel  leaves  across 
the  shoulders  and  chest.  The  white  blossoms  of  the 
jasmine,  fragrant  as  tuberoses,  which  they  much  resemble, 
are  generally  employed  for  this  decorative  purpose.  As  a 
people  the  Hawaiians  are  very  courteous  and  respectful, 


1 8  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

rarely  failing  to  greet  all  passing  strangers  with  a  softly 
articulated  ''alo-ha,"  which  signifies  ''my  love  to  you." 

A  drive  up  the  Nuuanu  valley,  which  opens  with  a  broad 
entrance  near  the  city,  introduces  us  to  some  grand  scenery. 
In  ascending  this  beautiful  valley  one  is  constantly  charmed 
by  the  discovery  of  new  tropical  trees,  luxurious  creepers 
and  lovely  wild-flowers.  The  strangers'  burial-ground  is 
passed  just  after  crossing  the  Nuuanu  stream,  and  close  at 
hand  is  the  Royal  Mausoleum,  —  a  stone  structure  in 
Gothic  style,  which  contains  the  remains  of  the  Hawaiian 
kings,  as  well  as  those  of  many  of  the  high  chiefs  who 
have  died  since  the  conquest.  Some  shaded  bathing-pools 
are  formed  by  the  mountain  streams,  lying  half  hidden  in 
the  dense  foliage.  Here  we  pass  the  residence  of  the  late 
Queen  Emma,  pleasantly  located  and  flower-embowered. 
This  valley  is  classic  ground  in  the  history  of  these  islands, 
being  the  spot  where  the  fierce  and  conquering  invader, 
King  Kamehameha  I.,  fought  his  last  decisive  battle,  the 
result  of  w^hich  confirmed  him  as  sole  monarch  of  the 
Hawaiian  group.  Here  the  natives  of  Oahu  made  their 
final  stand  and  fought  desperately,  resisting  with  clubs 
and  spears  the  savage  hordes  led  by  Kamehameha.  But 
they  were  defeated  at  last,  and  with  their  king  Kaiana, 
who  led  them  in  person,  were  all  driven  over  the  abrupt 
and  fatal  cliff  fifteen  hundred  feet  high,  situated  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  valley. 

In  the  environs  of  the  city  one  passes  upon  the  road- 
sides large  patches  measuring  an  acre  or  more  of  sub- 
merged land,  where  is  grown  the  Hawaiian  staff  of  life,  — 
the  taro,  a  root  which  is  cultivated  in  mud  and  mostly 
under  water,  recalling  the  rice-fields  of  China  and  Japan. 
The  vegetable  thus  produced,  when  baked  and  pounded  to 


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JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 9 

a  flour,  forms  a  nutritious  sort  of  dough  called /<?/,  which 
constitutes  the  principal  article  of  food  for  the  natives,  as 
potatoes  do  with  the  Irish  or  macaroni  with  the  Italians. 
This  poi  is  eaten  both  cooked  and  in  a  raw  state  mixed 
with  water. 

Though  Oahu  is  quite  mountainous,  like  the  rest  of  the 
islands  which  form  the  Hawaiian  group,  still  none  of  these 
reach  the  elevation  of  perpetual  snow.  The  six  inhabited 
islands  of  the  group  are  Kauai,  Oahu,  Molokai,  Lanai, 
Maui,  and  Hawaii,  the  last  containing -the  largest  active 
volcano  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge;  namely,  that 
of  Kilauea,  to  visit  which  persons  cross  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  oceans,  and  also  the  American  continent, 
between  the  two.  Honolulu  was  chosen  for  the  capital 
because  it  forms  the  best  and  almost  the  only  harbor 
worthy  of  the  name  to  be  found  among  these  islands.  In 
the  olden  times  Lahaina,  on  the  island  of  Maui,  was  the 
city  of  the  king,  and  the  recognized  capital  in  the  palmy 
days  of  the  whale  fishery.  This  settlement  is  now  going 
to  ruin,  tumbling  to  pieces  by  wear  and  tear  of  the  ele- 
ments, forming  a  rude  picture  of  decay.  Should  the 
Panama  Canal  be  completed,  it  would  prove  to  be  of  great 
advantage  to  these  islands,  as  they  lie  in  the  direct  course 
which  a  great  share  of  navigation  must  follow.  The  aggre- 
gate population  of  the  group  is  now  about  sixty  thousand, 
of  whom  some  thirty-eight  thousand  are  natives.  History 
tells  us  that  Captain  Cook  estimated  these  islands  to  con- 
tain over  three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  when  he  dis- 
covered them.  Perhaps  this  was  an  exaggeration,  though 
it  is  a  fact  that  they  are  capable  of  sustaining  a  popula- 
tion of  even  much  greater  density  than  this  estimate 
would  indicate. 


20  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

The  ubiquitous  Chinamen  are  found  here  as  gardeners, 
laborers,  house-servants,  fruit-dealers,  and  poi-makers.  What 
an  overflow  there  has  been  of  these  Asiatics  from  the 
''Flowery  Land!"  Each  one  of  the  race  arriving  at  the 
Sandwich  Islands  is  now  obliged  to  pay  ten  dollars  as  his 
landing  fee,  in  default  of  which  the  vessel  which  brings 
him  is  compelled  to  take  him  away.  This  singular  people, 
who  are  wonderfully  industrious,  notwithstanding  their 
many  faults,  are  equally  disliked  in  these  islands  by  the 
natives,  the  Americans,  and  the  Europeans  ;  yet  the  China- 
men steadily  increase  in  numbers,  and  it  is  believed  here 
that  they  are  destined  eventually  to  take  the  jolace  of  the 
aborigines.  The  aggregate  number  now  to  be  found  in 
the  group  is  over  twelve  thousand.  It  is  evident  that 
many  branches  of  small  trade  are  already  monopolized  by 
them,  as  is  the  case  at  Penang,  Singapore,  and  other 
Pacific  islands.  On  Nuuanu  Street  every  shop  is  occupied 
by  a  Chinaman,  dealing  in  such  articles  as  his  own  country- 
men and  the  natives  are  likely  to  purchase.  It  does 
certainly  appear  as  though  the  aboriginal  race  would  in 
the  near  future  be  obliterated,  and  their  place  filled  by  the 
Anglo-Saxons  and  the  Chinese,  the  representative  people 
of  the  East  and  the  West.  The  taro-patches  of  the  Hawai- 
ians  will  doubtless  ere  long  become  the  rice-fields  of  the 
Mongolians. 

In  the  year  1887  there  was  raised  upon  these  islands  1. 
very  large  amount  of  sugar,  over  one  hundred  thousand 
tons  in  all.  The  entire  product,  except  what  was  con- 
sumed for  domestic  use,  was  shipped  to  this  country. 
Three-quarters  of  the  money  invested  in  sugar-raising  here 
is  furnished  by  American  capitalists,  and  American  mana- 
gers carry  on  the  plantations.     A  reciprocity  treaty  be- 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  21 

tween  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  this  country  (that  is,  a 
national  agreement  upon  matters  of  mutual  interest),  and 
their  proximity  to  the  shores  of  America,  have  brought 
this  people  virtually  under  the  wing  of  our  Government, 
concentrating  their  foreign  trade  almost  entirely  in  the 
United  States,  while  the  youth  of  the  islands,  of  both  sexes, 
are  sent  hither  for  educational  purposes.  There  is  no 
other  foreign  port  in  the  world  where  the  American  flag  is 
so  often  seen,  or  more  respected  than  in  that  of  Honolulu. 

The  Hawaiian  Islands  are  not  on  the  direct  route  to 
Japan,  and  we  therefore  find  it  better  to  return  to  San 
Francisco  and  embark  from  there,  than  to  await  the  arrival 
of  a  chance  steamer  bound  westward.  Our  course  is  not 
in  the  track  of  general  commerce,  and  neither  ship  nor 
shore  is  encountered  while  crossing  this  vast  expanse  of 
water.  Storms  and  calms  alternate  ;  sometimes  the  ocean 
is  as  smooth  as  an  inland  lake,  and  at  others  in  its  unrest 
it  tossed  our  iron  hull  about  as  though  it  were  a  mere  skiff, 
in  place  of  a  ship  of  three  thousand  tons'  measurement. 
The  roughness  of  the  water  is  exhibited  near  the  coast  and 
in  narrow  seas  by  short,  chopping  waves ;  but  in  the  open 
ocean  these  are  changed  to  long,  heavy  swells,  covering 
the  expanse  of  waters  with  vast  parallels  separated  by  deep 
valleys,  the  distance  from  crest  to  crest  being  from  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  feet  during  a  heavy  gale. 
The  height  of  the  waves  is  measured  from  the  trough  to 
the  crest,  and  is  of  course  conjecture  only,  but  in  heavy 
weather  it  may  safely  be  set  down  at  thirty  feet. 

Every  steamship  on  the  trip  westward  carries  more  or 
less  Chinamen,  who,  having  acquired  a  certain  sum  of 
money  by  industry  and  self-denial,  are  glad  to  return  to 
their  native  land  and  live  upon   its  income.     Interest  is 


22  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

very  high  in  China,  and  money  is  scarce.  It  is  curious  to 
watch  these  second-class  passengers.  In  fine  weather  they 
crowd  the  forward  deck,  squatting  upon  their  hams  in 
picturesque  groups,  and  playing  cards  or  dominos  for  small 
stakes  of  money.  The  Chinese  are  inveterate  gamblers, 
but  are  satisfied  generally  to  play  for  very  small  stakes. 
When  the  sea  becomes  rough  and  a  storm  rages,  they  ex- 
hibit great  timidity,  giving  up  all  attempts  at  amusement. 
On  such  occasions,  with  sober  faces  and  trembling  hands, 
they  prepare  pieces  of  joss-paper  (scraps  with  magic  words), 
bearing  Chinese  letters,  and  cast  them  overboard  to  propi- 
tiate the  anger  of  the  special  god  who  controls  the  sea. 
The  dense,  noxious  smell  which  always  permeates  their 
quarters,  in  spite  of  enforced  ventilation  and  the  rules  of 
the  ship,  is  often  wafted  unpleasantly  to  our  ov/n  part  of 
the  vessel,  telling  a  significant  story  of  the  opium  pipe,  and 
a  certain  uncleanliness  of  person  peculiar  to  Africans  and 
Mongolians. 

After  a  three  weeks'  voyage  we  reach  Yokohama,  the  com- 
mercial capital  of  Japan.  When  Commodore  Perry  opened 
this  port  in  1854  with  a  fleet  of  American  men-of-war,  it  was 
scarcely  more  than  a  fishing  village,  but  it  has  now  a  pop- 
ulation of  a  hundred  and  thirty  thousand,  with  well-built 
streets  of  dwelling-houses,  the  thoroughfares  broad  and 
clean,  and  all  macadamized.  The  town  extends  along  the 
level  shore,  but  is  backed  by  a  half-moon  of  low,  wooded 
hills,  known  as  the  Bluff,  among  which  are  the  dwellings 
of  the  foreign  residents,  built  after  the  European  and 
American  style.  A  deep,  broad  canal  surrounds  the  city, 
passing  by  the  large  warehouses,  and  connected  with  the 
bay  at  each  end,  being  crossed  by  several  handsome  bridges. 
If  we  ascend  the  road  leading  to  the  Bluff  we  have  a  most 


Page  23. 


MODE  OF  TRAVELLING  IN  JAPAN.     A   JINRIKSHA. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  2$ 

charming  and  extended  view.  In  the  west,  seventy  miles 
away,  the  white,  cloud-like  cone  of  Fujiyama,  a  large  vol- 
canic mountain  of  Japan,  can  clearly  be  discerned,  while  all 
about  us  lie  the  pretty  villas  of  the  foreign  settlers. 

In  looking  about  this  commercial  capital  everything 
strikes  us  as  curious ;  every  new  sight  is  a  revelation, 
while  in  all  directions  tangible  representations  of  the 
strange  pictures  we  have  seen  upon  fans  and  lacquered 
ware  are  presented  to  view.  One  is  struck  by  the  partial 
nudity  of  men,  women,  and  children,  the  extremely  simple 
architecture  of  the  dwelling-houses,  the  peculiar  vegetation, 
the  extraordinary  salutations  between  the  common  people 
who  meet  each  other  upon  the  streets,  the  trading  bazars, 
and  the  queer  tov-like  articles  which  fill  them  ;  children 
flying  kites  in  the  shape  of  hideous  yellow  monsters.  Each 
subject  becomes  a  fresh  study.  Men  drawing  vehicles,  like 
horses  between  the  shafts,  and  trotting  off  at  a  six-mile 
pony-gait  while  drawing  after  them  one  or  two  persons,  is 
a  singular  sight  to  a  stranger.  So  are  the  naked  natives, 
by  fours,  bearing  heavy  loads  swung  from  their  shoulders 
upon  stout  bamboo  poles,  while  they  shout  a  measured 
chant  by  means  of  which  to  keep  step.  No  beggars  are 
seen  upon  the  streets  ;  the  people  without  exception  are 
all  neat  and  cleanly.  The  houses  are  special  examples  of 
neatness,  and  very  small,  being  seldom  more  than  twenty 
feet  square,  and  one  story  in  height.  All  persons,  foreign- 
ers or  natives,  take  off  their  shoes  before  entering  upon 
the  polished  floors,  not  only  out  of  respect  to  the  customs 
of  the  country,  but  because  one  does  not  feel  like  treading 
upon  their  floors  with  nailed  heels  or  soiled  soles.  The 
conviction  forces  itself  upon  us  that  such  universal  neat- 
ness and  cleanliness  must  extend  even  to  the  moral  char- 


24  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

acter  of  the  people.  A  spirit  of  gentleness,  industry,  and 
thrift  are  observable  everywhere,  imparting  an  Arcadian 
atmosphere  to  these  surroundings.  In  the  houses  which 
we  enter  there  are  found  neither  chairs,  tables,  nor  bed- 
steads ;  the  people  sit,  eat,  and  sleep  upon  the  floors,  which 
are  as  clean  as  a  newdy  laid  tablecloth. 

Here  and  there  upon  the  roadsides  moss-grown  shrines 
bearing  sacred  emblems  are  observed,  before  which  women, 
but  rarely  men,  are  seen  bending.  The  principal  religions 
of  Japan  are  Shinto  and  Buddhism,  subdivided  into  many 
sects.  The  Shinto  is  mainly  a  form  of  hero  worship,  suc- 
cessful warriors  being  canonized  as  martyrs  are  in  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  Buddhism  is  another  form  of 
idolatry,  borrowed  originally  from  the  Chinese.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  country  is  composed  of  the  Chinese  and  Japa- 
nese combined.  As  we  travel  inland,  places  are  pointed 
out  to  us  where  populous  cities  once  stood,  but  where  no 
ruins  mark  the  spot.  A  dead  and  buried  city  in  Europe  or 
in  Asia  leaves  rude  but  almost  indestructible  remains  to 
mark  where  great  communities  once  built  temples  and 
monuments,  and  lived  and  thrived,  like  those  historic  ex- 
amples of  mutability,  Memphis,  Psestum,  Cumae,  or  Delhi  ; 
but  not  so  in  Japan.  It  seems  strange  indeed  that  a  local- 
ity where  half  a  million  of  people  have  made  their  homes 
within  the  period  of  a  century,  should  now  present  the 
aspect  only  of  fertile  fields  of  grain.  But  when  it  is  re- 
membered of  what  fragile  material  the  natives  build  their 
dwellings,  — -  namely,  of  light,  thin  wood  and  paper,  —  their 
utter  disappearance  ceases  to  surprise  us.  It  is  a  curious  fact 
that  this  people,  contemporary  with  Greece  and  Rome  at 
their  zenith,  who  have  only  reared  cities  of  wood  and  tem- 
ples of  lacquer,  have  outlived  the  classic  nations  whose  half- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  25 

ruined  monuments  are  our  choicest  models.  The  Greek 
and  Latin  races  have  passed  away,  but  Japan  still  remains, 
without  a  change  of  dynasty  and  with  an  inviolate  country. 

In  journeying  inland  we  are  struck  with  many  peculiar- 
ities showing  how  entirely  opposite  to  our  own  methods 
are  many  of  theirs.  At  the  post-stations  the  horses  are 
placed  and  tied  in  their  stalls  with  their  heads  to  the 
passage-way,  and  their  tails  where  we  place  their  heads. 
Instead  of  iron  shoes,  the  Japanese  pony  is  shod  with 
close-braided  rice-straw.  Carpenters,  in  using  the  fore- 
plane,  draw  it  towards  them  instead  of  pushing  it  from 
them.  It  is  the  same  in  using  a  saw,  the  teeth  being  set 
accordingly.  So  the  tailor  sews  from  him,  not  towards 
his  body,  and  holds  his  thread  with  his  toes.  The  women 
ride  astride,  like  the  Hawaiians. 

A  trip  of  fifteen  miles  from  Yokohama  will  take  us  to 
the  town  of  Kamakura,  where  we  find  the  remarkable  idol 
of  Dai-Butsu.  This  great  Buddha  image,  composed  of  gold, 
silver,  and  copper,  forms  a  bronze  figure  of  nearly  sixty 
feet  in  height,  within  which  a  hundred  persons  may  stand 
together,  the  interior  being  fitted  at  the  base  as  a  small 
chapel.  A  vast  number  of  little  scraps  of  paper  bearing 
Japanese  characters,  flutter  from  the  interior  walls  of  the 
big  idol,  fastened  there  by  pious  pilgrims,  forming  petitions 
to  the  presiding  deity.  As  we  enter,  these  scraps,  agi- 
tated by  the  winds,  rustle  like  an  army  of  white  bats. 
This  sacred  figure  is  as  remarkable  as  the  Sphinx,  which 
presides  so  placidly  at  the  feet  of  the  great  Pyramids.  As 
a  work  of  art,  its  only  merits  consist  in  the  calm  dignity 
of  expression  and  repose  upon  its  colossal  features.  It  is 
many  centuries  old,  and  how  such  an  enormous  amount  of 
bronze  metal  was  ever  cast,  or  how  set  up  in  such  perfect 


26  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

shape  when  finished,  no  one  can  say.  It  must  have  been 
completed  in  sections  and  put  together  in  the  place  where 
it  stands,  the  joints  being  so  perfectly  welded  as  not  to  be 
obvious.  It  was  formerly  covered  by  a  temple  which  has 
long  since  mouldered  to  dust,  but  it  is  certainly  none  the 
less  effective  and  impressive,  as  it  now  sits  surrounded  by 
the  natural  scenery  and  the  thick  woods. 

Japanese  art,  of  which  we  have  all  seen  such  laughable 
specimens,  is  not  without  some  claims  to  excellence;  other- 
wise we  should  not  have  the  myriads  of  beautifully  orna- 
mented articles  which  are  produced  by  them,  exhibiting 
exquisite  finish  and  perfection  of  detail.  Of  perspective 
they  have  no  idea  whatever ;  the  play  of  light  and  shade 
they  do  not  understand ;  there  is  no  distinction  of  dis- 
tances in  their  pictures.  Their  figures  are  good,  being 
also  delicately  executed,  and  their  choice  of  colors  is  ad- 
mirable. Thus  in  profile  work  they  get  on  very  well,  but 
in  grouping,  they  pile  houses  on  the  sea,  and  mountains  on 
the  houses.  In  caricature  they  greatly  excel,  and,  indeed, 
they  scarcely  attempt  to  represent  the  human  face  and 
figure  in  any  other  light. 

Tokio  is  the  political  capital  of  Japan,  and  is  situated 
about  twenty  miles  from  Yokohama,  containing  over  half  a 
million  of  people.  It  has  broad  streets  and  good  roadways, 
having  adopted  many  American  ideas  of  city  customs  and 
government.  The  Bridge  of  Japan  is  situated  in  this  city, 
crossing  the  river  which  intersects  the  capital,  and  is  here 
what  the  golden  milestone  was  in  the  Forum  at  Rome  — 
all  distances  in  the  Empire  are  measured  from  it.  There 
are  many  elaborate  temples  within  the  city,  containing  rare 
bronzes  of  great  value.  Priests  are  constantly  seen  writ- 
ing upon  slips  of  paper,  inside  of  the  temples,  at  the  re- 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  2 J 

quest  of  devotees,  which  the  suppHants  pin  upon  the  walls 
of  the  temple  as  a  form  of  prayer.  The  renowned  temple 
of  Shiba  is  one  of  the  greatest  attractions  to  strangers  in 
Tokio.  Here  lie  buried  most  of  the  bygone  Tycoons 
(sovereigns  of  Japan).  The  grounds  are  divided  into 
many  departments,  tombs,  shrines,  and  small  temples.  In 
the  main  temple  there  is  an  amount  of  gold,  silver, 
and  bronze  ornaments  of  fabulous  value,  leading  us  to 
wonder  where  the  raw  material  could  have  come  from. 
History  knows  nothing  of  the  importation  of  the  precious 
metals,  but  it  is  true  that  they  are  found  in  more  or  less 
abundance  all  over  the  country.  Copper  of  the  purest 
quality  is  a  native  product,  the  exportation  of  which  is 
prohibited,  and  mining  for  the  precious  metals  is  carried 
on  to  but  a  very  limited  extent.  The  temple  of  Shiba  is 
situated  near  the  centre  of  the  population,  occupying  many 
acres  of  ground,  walled  in,  and  shaded  by  a  thick  grove  of 
trees,  whose  branches  are  black  with  thousands  of  undis- 
turbed rooks  and  pigeons  which  are  considered  sacred. 
The  principal  characteristic  of  the  architecture  is  its  bold- 
ness of  relief,  overhanging  roofs,  heavy  brackets,  and  elab- 
orate carvings.  The  doors  are  of  solid  bronze  in  bas- 
relief. 

In  the  suburbs  is  a  hill  known  as  Atago-Yama,  from 
whence  there  is  a  grand,  comprehensive  view  of  the  capi- 
tal. A  couple  of  miles  to  the  southeast  lies  the  broad, 
glistening  Bay  of  Tokio,  and  round  the  other  points  of  the 
compass  the  imperial  city  itself  covers  a  plain  of  some  eight 
miles  square,  divided  by  water-ways,  bridges,  and  clumps 
of  graceful  trees  looming  conspicuously  above  the  low 
dwellings.  The  whole  is  as  level  as  a  checker-board ;  but 
yet  there  is  relief  to  the  picture  in  the  fine  open  gardens, 


28  FOOT'PRINrS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

the  high-peaked  gable  roofs  of  the  temples,  and  the  broad 
white  roadways. 

A  visit  to  Kioto,  which  is  called  the  City  of  Temples, 
shows  us  some  prominent  local  peculiarities.  The  Japa- 
nese character  presents  as  much  unlikeness  to  the  Oriental 
as  to  the  European  type,  and  is  comparable  only  to  itself. 
A  native  believes  that  the  little  caricature  in  ivory  or  wood 
which  has,  perhaps,  been  manufactured  under  his  own 
eyes,  or  even  by  his  own  hands,  is  sacred,  and  he  will 
address  his  prayers  to  it  with  a  solemn  conviction  of  its 
power  to  respond  favorably.  His  most  revered  gods  are 
effigies  of  renowned  warriors  and  successful  generals. 
African  superstition  is  no  blinder  than  is  such  adora- 
tion, though  it  be  performed  by  an  intelligent  people. 
Some  of  the  native  animals,  such  as  foxes,  badgers,  and 
snakes,  are  protected  with  superstitious  reverence.  Before 
one  of  the  temples  we  see  a  theatrical  performance  in 
progress,  which  seems  rather  incongruous,  but  upon  in- 
quiry the  object  of  this  is  found  to  be  a  desire  to  appease 
the  special  gods  of  this  individual  temple  ■  in  fact,  to  en- 
tertain and  amuse  them  so  that  they  will  receive  the 
prayers  of  the  people  with  favor.  The  exhibition  consists 
of  dancing  and  posturing  by  professionals  of  both  sexes, 
accompanied  by  the  noise  of  whistles,  gongs,  bells,  and 
fifes. 

At  Koby  we  embark  for  Nagasaki,  sailing  the  whole 
length  of  the  famous  Inland  Sea,  a  most  enchanting  three 
days'  voyage  among  lovely  islands,  terraced  and  cultivated 
here  and  there  like  vineyards  on  the  Rhine.  The  course 
.is  characterized  by  narrow  and  winding  passages,  losing 
themselves  in  creeks  and  bays  after  a  most  curious  fashion, 
while  brown  hamlets  here  and  there  fringe  the  coast  line. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  29 

Nagasaki  is  in  the  extreme  south  of  Japan,  a  city  second 
only  to  Yokohama  in  commercial  importance.  A  sad  in- 
terest attaches  to  the  small  but  lofty  island  of  Pappenburg, 
which  stands  like  a  sentinel  guarding  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor.  It  is  the  Tarpeian  Rock  of  the  far  East.  During 
the  persecution  of  the  Christians  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, the  steep  cliff  which  forms  the  seaward  side  of  the 
island  was  an  execution  point,  and  from  here  men  and 
women  who  declined  to  abjure  their  faith  were  cast  head- 
long on  the  sea-washed  rocks  five  hundred  feet  below. 
The  harbor  is  surrounded  by  lofty  elevations.  Tall,  dark 
pines  and  a  verdant  undergrowth  mark  the  deep  ravines 
and  sloping  hillsides,  upon  which  European  dwellings  are 
seen  overlooking  the  bay.  If  we  climb  the  path  among 
these  hills  we  occasionally  pass  a  Buddhist  temple,  and 
come  upon  many  wild-flowers,  shaded  by  oaks  and  cam- 
phor-trees of  great  size  and  beautiful  foliage,  with  occa- 
sional specimens  of  the  Japanese  wax-tree.  Still  further 
up,  the  hills  are  covered  with  dark,  moss-grown  grave- 
stones, bearing  curious  characters  engraven  upon  them, 
and  marking  the  sleeping-places  of  bygone  generations. 
The  unbroken  quiet  of  this  city  of  the  dead  contrasts 
vividly  with  the  hum  of  busy  life  which  comes  up  to  us 
from  the  town  with  its  population  of  a  hundred  thousand 
souls.  As  to  the  products  of  this  locality,  they  are  mostly 
figured  porcelain,  embroidered  silks,  japanned  goods,  ebony 
and  tortoise-shell  finely  carved  and  manufactured  into  toy 
ornaments.  Every  small,  low  house  has  a  shop  in  front 
quite  open  to  the  street;  but  small  as  these  houses  are, 
room  is  nearly  always  found  in  the  rear  or  at  the  side  for 
a  little  flower-garden,  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  square,  where 
dwarf  trees  flourish  amid  hillocks  of  turf  and  ferns,  with 


30  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

here  and  there  a  tub  of  goldfish.  Azaleas,  laurels,  and 
tiny  clumps  of  bamboos,  are  the  most  common  plants  to 
be  seen  in  these  charming  little  spots  of  greenery. 

Botanists  declare  Japan  to  be  one  of  the  richest  of  all 
countries  in  its  vegetation.  The  cultivation  of  the  soil  is 
thoroughly  and  skilfully  systematized,  the  greatest  pos- 
sible results  being  obtained  from  a  given  area  of  land. 
This  is  partly  due  to  the  careful  mode  of  enrichment  ap- 
plied in  liquid  form.  Its  flora  is  spontaneous  and  mag- 
nificent, repaying  the  smallest  attention  by  a  development 
which  is  surprising.  Next  in  importance  to  the  production 
of  rice,  which  is  the  staple  food  of  the  people,  come  the 
mulberry  and  tea  plants,  one  species  of  the  former  not  only 
feeding  the  silkworm,  but  it  also  affords  the  fibre  of  which 
Japanese  paper  is  made,  as  well  as  forming  the  basis  of 
their  cordage  and  some  descriptions  of  dress  material.  In 
usefulness  the  bamboo  is  most  remarkable,  growing  to  a 
height  of  sixty  feet,  and  entering  into  the  construction 
of  house-frames,  screens,  many  household  articles,  mats, 
pipes,  and  sails.  The  camphor-tree,  which  is  seen  in  such 
abundance,  is  a  grand  ornament  in  the  landscape,  lofty  and 
broad-spread.  The  camphor  of  commerce  is  extracted 
from  both  the  stem  and  the  roots  of  the  tree,  which,  being 
cut  into  small  pieces,  are  subjected  to  a  process  of  decoc- 
tion. 

No  sooner  have  the  Japanese  been  fairly  introduced 
to  American  and  European  civilization,  than  they  have 
promptly  taken  a  stride  of  four  or  five  centuries  at  a  single 
leap,  from  despotism  in  its  most  ultra  form  to  constitu- 
tional government.  When  America  opened  the  port  of 
Yokohama  to  the  commerce  of  the  world,  it  also  opened 
that  hermetically  sealed  land  to  the  introduction  of  pro- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  3  I 

gressive  ideas  ;  and  though,  unfortunately,  the  elements 
of  civilization  which  are  most  readily  assimilated  are  not 
always  the  most  beneficial,  still  the  result,  taken  as  a  whole, 
has  been  worthy  of  the  admiration  of  the  world  at  large. 

The  natural  intelligence  of  the  Japanese  has  no  superior 
among  any  race,  however  much  it  may  have  been  perverted, 
or  have  lain  dormant.  There  is  evidence  enough  of  this 
in  the  fact  that  the  young  men  of  that  country  who  are 
sent  here  for  educational  purposes,  so  frequently  win 
academic  prizes  and  honors  over  our  native  scholars,  not- 
withstanding the  disadvantages  under  which  a  foreigner 
is  inevitably  placed. 

When  we  speak  of  the  progress  of  the  Japanese  as  a 
nation,  we  must  not  forget  that  the  national  records  of  the 
country  date  from  nearly  seven  hundred  years  before  the 
birth  of  Christ,  and  that  a  regular  succession  of  Mikados 
(supreme  rulers),  in  lineal  descent  from  the  founders  of 
their  dynasty  and  race,  has  since  that  remote  date  been 
carefully  preserved. 


32  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 


CHAPTER    III. 

FROM  Nagasaki,  in  following  our  proposed  course,  we 
sail  for  Hong  Kong,  through  the  Yellow  and  Chinese 
seas,  a  distance  of  eleven  hundred  miles.  This  is  very 
sure  to  be  a  rough  passage,  and  the  marvel  is  rather  that 
more  vessels  are  not  lost  here  than  that  so  many  are. 
Seamen  call  it  "the  graveyard  of  commerce."  As  we 
enter  the  magnificent  harbor  of  Hong  Kong  it  is  found  to 
be  surrounded  by  a  range  of  lofty  hills,  which  shelter  it  com- 
pletely from  the  sweeping  winds  that  so  often  prevail  in 
this  region.  It  is  the  most  easterly  of  the  possessions 
of  Great  Britain,  and  is  kept  in  a  well-fortified  condition, 
the  uniforms  of  the  garrison  being  a  striking  feature  of 
the  busy  streets  of  the  city  at  all  hours  of  the  day.  The 
houses  in  the  European  section  are  large  and  handsome 
structures,  mostly  of  stone,  rising  tier  upon  tier  from  the 
main  street  to  a  height  of  some  hundreds  of  feet  on  the 
face  of  the  hill  immediately  back  of  the  town.  On  and 
about  the  lofty  Victoria  Peak  are  many  charming  bunga- 
lows, or  cottages,  with  attractive  surroundings,  which 
enjoy  a  noble  prospect  of  the  harbor  and  country.  The 
streets  appropriated  to  the  use  of  the  Europeans  are 
spacious  and  clean,  but  the  Chinese  portion  of  Hong 
Kong  is  quite  characteristic  of  the  native  race,  —  very 
crowded  and  very  dirty,  seeming  to  invite  all  sorts  of 
epidemic  diseases,  which  in  fact  nearly  always  prevail 
more  or  less  severely  among  the  lower  classes. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  33 

These  streets  exhibit  strange  local  pictures.  The  shoe- 
maker plies  his  trade  in  the  open  thoroughfare ;  cooking 
is  going  on  at  all  hours  in  the  gutters  beside  the  roads  ; 
itinerant  pedlers  dispense  food  made  of  mysterious 
materials  ;  the  barber  shaves  his  customer  upon  the  side- 
walk ;  the  universal  fan  is  carried  by  the  men,  and  not  by 
the  women.  The  Chinese  mariner's  compass  does  not 
point  to  the  North  Pole,  but  to  the  South  ;  that  is,  the 
index  is  placed  upon  the  opposite  end  of  the  needle. 
When  Chinamen  meet  each  other  upon  the  streets,  in- 
stead of  shaking  each  other's  hands  they  shake  their  own. 
The  men  wear  skirts,  and  the  women  wear  pantaloons. 
The  dressmakers  are  not  women,  but  men.  In  reading  a 
book  a  Chinaman  begins  at  the  end  and  reads  backwards. 
We  uncover  the  head  as  a  mark  of  respect ;  they  take  off 
their  shoes  for  the  same  purpose,  but  keep  their  heads 
covered.  We  shave  the  face  ;  they  shave  the  head  and 
eyebrows.  At  dinner  we  begin  the  meal  with  soup  and 
fish  ;  they  reverse  the  order  and  begin  with  the  dessert. 
The  old  men  fly  kites  while  the  boys  look  on ;  shuttle- 
cock is  their  favorite  game  ;  it  is  played,  however,  not 
with  the  hands,  but  with  the  feet.  White  constitutes 
the  mourning  color,  and  black  is  the  wedding  hue.  The 
women  perform  the  men's  work,  and  the  men  wash  the 
clothing.  We  pay  our  physicians  for  attending  us  in 
illness ;  they  pay  their  doctors  to  keep  them  well,  and 
stop  their  remuneration  when  they  are  ill.  In  short,  this 
people  seem  to  be  our  antipodes  in  customs  as  well  as 
being  so  geographically. 

A  visit  to  the  water-front  of  the  city  affords  much 
amusement,  especially  at  the  hour  when  the  market  boats 
with  vegetables  arrive  from  the  country,  and  from  along 


34  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

shore  with  fish.  Here  the  people  swarm  hke  ants  more 
than  like  human  beings  ;  all  eager  for  business,  all  crowd- 
ing and  talking  at  the  same  time,  and  creating  a  confusion 
that  would  seem  to  defeat  its  own  object ;  namely,  to  buy 
and  to  sell.  The  vegetables  are  various  and  good,  the 
variety  of  fruit  limited  and  poor  in  flavor,  but  the  fish  are 
abundant  and  various  in  size  and  color.  Nine-tenths  of 
the  business  on  the  river-front  is  done  by  women,  and 
they  are  very  rarely  seen  without  an  infant  strapped  to 
their  backs,  while  they  are  carrying  heavy  burdens  in  their 
hands,  or  are  engaged  in  rowing  or  sculling  their  boats. 
They  trade,  make  change,  and  clean  the  fish  quite  oblivious 
of  the  infant  at  their  backs.  A  transient  visitor  to  China 
is  not  competent  to  speak  of  the  higher  class  of  women,  as 
no  access  can  be  had  to  domestic  life.  Only  those  of  the 
common  class  appear  indiscriminately  in  public.  Oriental 
exclusiveness  wrapping  itself  about  the  sex  here  nearly  as 
rigidly  as  in  Egypt.  If  ladies  go  abroad  at  all,  it  is  in 
curtained  palanquins,  borne  upon  men's  shoulders,  partially 
visible  through  a  transparent  veil  of  gauze.  Anywhere 
east  of  Italy  woman  is  either  a  toy  or  a  slave. 

Hong  Kong  is  an  island  nearly  forty  miles  in  circum- 
ference, consisting  of  a  cluster  of  hills  rising  almost  to  the 
dignity  of  mountains.  The  gray  granite  of  which  the 
island  is  mostly  composed,  furnishes  an  excellent  material 
for  building  purposes,  and  is  largely  employed  for  that 
object,  affording  a  good  opportunity  for  architectural  dis- 
play. A  trip  of  a  hundred  miles  up  the  Pearl  River  takes 
us  to  Canton,  strangest  of  strange  cities.  It  has  a  popu- 
lation of  a  million  and  a  half,  and  yet  there  is  not  a  street 
of  over  ten  feet  in  width  within  the  walls,  horses  and 
wheeled   vehicles    being  unknown.      The    city   extends   a 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  35 

distance  of  five  miles  along  the  river,  and  a  hundred  thou- 
sand people  live  in  boats.  At  the  corners  of  the  streets, 
niches  in  the  walls  of  the  houses  contain  idols,  before 
which  incense  is  constantly  burning  day  and  night.  The 
most  famous  temple  in  the  city  is  that  of  the  Five  Hun- 
dred Gods,  containing  that  number  of  gilded  statues  of 
Buddhist  sages,  apostles,  and  deified  warriors.  In  some  of 
these  sacred  structures  composed  of  shrines  and  miniature 
temples,  among  other  seeming  absurdities  we  see  a  num- 
ber of  sacred  hogs  wallowing  in  their  filth.  Disgusting  as 
it  appears  to  an  intelligent  Christian,  it  has  its  palliating 
features.  The  Parsee  worships  fire,  the  Japanese  bows 
before  snakes  and  foxes,  the  Hindoo  deifies  cows  and 
monkeys  ;  why,  then,  should  not  the  Chinese  have  their 
swine  as  objects  of  veneration  }  We  may  destroy  the 
idols,  but  let  us  not  be  too  hard  upon  the  idolaters  ;  they 
do  as  well  as  they  know.  The  idol  is  the  measure  of 
the  worshipper.  The  punishment  of  crime  is  swift  and 
sure,  the  number  of  persons  beheaded  annually  being 
almost  incredible.  Friday  is  the  day  for  clearing  the 
crowded  prison  at  Canton,  and  it  is  n'ot  uncommon  on 
that  occasion  to  see  a  dozen  criminals  beheaded  in  the 
prison  yard  in  eight  minutes,  one  sweeping  blow  of  the 
executioner's  sword  decapitating  each  human  body  as  it 
stands  erect  and  blindfolded. 

One  is  jostled  in  the  narrow  ways  by  staggering  coolies 
with  buckets  of  the  vilest  contents,  and  importuned  for 
money  by  beggars  who  thrust  their  deformed  limbs  in  his 
face.  It  is  but  natural  to  fear  contagion  of  some  sort  from 
contact  with  such  creatures,  and  yet  the  crowd  is  so  dense 
that  it  is  impossible  to  entirely  avoid  them.  Under  foot 
the   streets   are   wet,    muddy,   and    slipper}-.       Why   some 


36  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

deadly  disease  does  not  break  out  and  sweep  away  the 
people  is  a  mystery. 

Philanthropic  societies  are  numerous  in  the  cities  of 
China.  Indeed,  they  are  hardly  excelled  by  those  of 
America  or  Europe.  They  embrace  well-organized  orphan 
asylums,  institutions  for  the  relief  of  indigent  widows 
with  families,  homes  for  the  aged  and  infirm,  public  hospi- 
tals, and  free  schools  in  every  district.  As  is  the  case 
with  ourselves,  some  of  these  are  purely  governmental 
charities,  while  others  are  supported  by  liberal  endow- 
ments left  by  deceased  citizens.  There  are  depots  estab- 
lished to  dispense  medicines  among  the  poor,  and  others 
whence  clothing  is  distributed  free  of  cost.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  these  societies  and  organizations  are 
not  copied  from  Western  models.  They  have  existed  here 
from  time  immemorial. 

No  one  has  ever  been  able  to  trace  any  affinity  between 
the  Chinese  language  and  that  of  any  other  people,  ancient 
or  modern.  It  is  absolutely  unique.  No  other  nation 
except  the  Japanese  has  ever  borrowed  from  it,  or  mingled 
any  of  its  elements  with  its  own.  It  must  have  originated 
from  the  untutored  efforts  of  a  primitive  people.  Like 
the  Egyptian  tongue,  it  was  at  first  probably  composed 
of  hieroglyphics,  expressing  ideas  by  pictured  objects, 
which  in  the  course  of  time  became  systematized  into 
letters  or  signs  expressive  of  sounds  and  words. 

Though  we  may  dislike  the  Chinese,  it  is  not  wise  to 
shut  our  eyes  to  facts  which  have  passed  into  history. 
They  have  long  been  a  reading  and  a  cultured  people. 
Five  hundred  years  before  the  art  of  printing  was  known 
to  Europe,  books  were  multiplied  by  movable  types  in 
China.     Every  province  has  its  separate  history  in  print, 


hlj!'     tril 


yOURNEYIXGS   LV  MANY  LANDS.  37 

and  reliable  maps  of  each  section  of  the  country  are  extant. 
The  civil  code  of  laws  is  annually  corrected  and  published, 
a  certain  degree  of  education  is  universal,  and  eight-tenths 
of  the  people  can  read  and  write.  The  estimate  in  which 
letters  are  held  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  learning  forms 
the  very  threshold  that  leads  to  fame,  honor,  and  official 
position.  The  means  of  internal  communication  between 
one  part  of  China  and  another  are  scarcely  superior  to 
those  of  Africa.  By  and  by,  however,  railways  will  revo- 
lutionize this.  Gold  and  silver  are  found  in  nearly  every 
province  of  the  Empire,  w^hile  the  central  districts  contain 
the  largest  coal-fields  upon  the  globe.  Nearly  one-fourth 
of  the  human  race  is  supposed  to  be  comprised  within  the 
Chinese  Empire.  They  look  to  the  past,  not  to  the  future, 
and  the  word  "  progress  "  has  apparently  to  them  no  real 
significance. 

In  travelling  through  portions  of  the  country  a  de- 
pressing sense  of  monotony  is  the  prevailing  feeling  one 
experiences,  each  section  is  so  precisely  like  another. 
There  is  no  local  individuality.  Their  veritable  records 
represent  this  people  as  far  back  as  the  days  of  Abraham, 
and,  indeed,  they  antedate  that  period.  In  two  important 
discoveries  they  long  preceded  Europe ;  namely,  that  of 
the  magnetic  compass  and  the  use  of  gunpowder.  The 
knowledge  of  these  w^as  long  in  travelling  westward 
through  the  channels  of  Oriental  commerce,  by  the  way  of 
Asia  Minor.  There  are  many  antagonistic  elements  to 
consider  in  judging  of  the  Chinese.  The  common  people 
we  meet  in  the  ordinary  walks  of  life  are  far  from  prepossess- 
ing, and  are  much  the  same  as  those  who  have  emigrated 
to  this  country.  One  looks  in  vain  among  the  smooth 
chins,   shaved  heads,  and  almond  eyes    of    the   crowd  for 


38  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

signs  of  intelligence  and  manliness.  There  are  no  tokens 
of  humor  or  cheerfulness  to  be  seen,  but  in  their  place 
there  is  plenty  of  apparent  cunning,  slyness,  and  deceit,  if 
there  is  any  truth  in  physiognomy.  With  the  Japanese 
the  traveller  feels  himself  constantly  sympathizing.  He 
goes  among  them  freely,  he  enters  their  houses  and  drinks 
tea  with  them  ;  but  not  so  with  the  Chinese.  In  place  of 
affiliation  we  realize  a  constant  sense  of  repulsion. 

We  embark  at  Hong  Kong  for  Singapore  by  the  way  of 
the  China  Sea  and  the  Gulf  of  Siam.  The  northerly  wind 
favors  us,  causing  the  ship  to  rush  through  the  turbulent 
waters  like  a  race-horse.  The  Philippine  Islands  are 
passed,  and  leaving  Borneo  on  our  port-bow  as  w^e  draw 
near  to  the  Equatorial  Line,  the  ship  is  steered  due  west 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Malacca  Straits.  Off  the  Gulf  of 
Siam  we  are  pretty  sure  to  get  a  view  of  a  water-spout, 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  it  may  be  a  goodly  distance  from 
us.  Atmospheric  and  ocean  currents  meet  here,  from  the 
China  Sea  northward,  from  the  Malacca  Straits  south  and 
west,  and  from  the  Pacific  Ocean  eastward,  mingling  off 
the  Gulf  of  Siam,  and  causing,  very  naturally,  a  confusion 
of  the  elements,  resulting  sometimes  in  producing  these 
wind  and  water  phenomena.  A  water-spout  is  a  miniature 
cyclone,  an  eddy  of  the  wind  rotating  with  such  velocity 
as  to  suck  up  a  column  of  water  from  the  sea  to  the  height 
of  one  or  two  hundred  feet.  This  column  of  water  appears 
to  be  largest  at  the  top  and  bottom,  and  contracted  in  the 
m.iddle.  If  it  were  to  fall  foul  of  a  ship  and  break,  it  would 
surely  wreck  and  submerge  her.  Modern  science  shows 
that  all  storms  are  cyclonic  ;  that  is,  they  are  circular 
eddies  of  wind  of  greater  or  less  diameter.  The  power  of 
these  cyclones  is  more  apparent  upon  the   sea  than  upon 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  39 

the  land,  \vhere  the  obstruction  is  naturally  greater.  Yet 
we  know  how  destructive  they  sometimes  prove  in  our 
Western  States. 

Singapore  is  the  chief  port  of  the  Malacca  Straits,  and 
is  an  island  lying  just  off  the  southern  point  of  Asia,  thirtv 
miles  long  and  half  as  wide,  containing  a  population  of 
about  a  hundred  thousand.  Here,  upon  landing,  w^e  are 
surrounded  by  tropical  luxuriance,  the  palm  and  cocoanut 
trees  looming  above  our  heads  and  shading  whole  groves 
of  bananas.  The  most  precious  spices,  the  richest  fruits, 
the  sraudiest  feathered  birds  are  found  in  their  native 
atmosphere.  There  are  plenty  of  Chinese  at  Singapore. 
They  dominate  the  Strait  settlements,  monopolizing  all 
branches  of  small  trade,  while  the  natives  are  lazy  and 
listless,  true  children  of  the  equatorial  regions.  Is  it 
because  Nature  is  here  so  bountiful,  so  lovely,  so  prolific, 
that  her  children  are  sluggish,  dirty,  and  heedless  }  It 
would  seem  to  require  a  less  propitious  climate,  a  sterile 
soil,  and  rude  surroundings  to  awaken  human  energy  and 
to  place  man  at  his  best.  The  common  people  are  seen 
almost  naked,  and  those  who  wear  clothes  at  all,  affect  the 
brightest  colors.  The  jungle  is  dense,  tigers  abound,  and 
men,  women,  and  children  are  almost  daily  killed  and 
eaten  by  them. 

It  is  easy  to  divine  the  merchantable  protlucts  of  the 
island  from  the  nature  of  the  articles  which  are  seen  piled 
up  for  shipment  upon  the  wharves,  consisting  of  tapioca, 
cocoanut  oil,  gambia,  tin  ore,  indigo,  tiger-skins,  coral, 
gutta-percha,  hides,  gums,  and  camphor. 

There  is  no  winter  or  autumn  here,  no  sere  and  yellow 
leaf  period,  but  seemingly  a  perpetual  spring,  with  a  tem- 
perature   almost  unvarying ;    new  leaves    always   swelling 


40  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

from  the  bud,  flowers  always  in  bloom,  the  sun  rising  and 
setting  within  five  minutes  of  six  o'clock  during  the  entire 
year.  Singapore  enjoys  a  soft  breeze  most  of  the  day 
from  across  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  laden  with  fragrant  sweet- 
ness from  the  spice-fields  of  Ceylon. 

Each  place  we  visit  has  its  peculiar  local  pictures.  Here, 
small  hump-backed  oxen  are  seen  driven  about  at  a  lively 
trot  in  place  of  horses.  Pedlers  roam  the  streets  selling 
drinking-water,  with  soup,  fruit,  and  a  jelly  made  from  sugar 
and  sea-weed,  called  agar-agar.  Native  houses  are  built 
upon  stilts  to  keep  out  the  snakes  and  tigers.  The  better 
class  of  people  wear  scarlet  turbans  and  white  cotton 
skirts  ;  others  have  parti-colored  shawls  round  their  heads, 
while  yellow  scarfs  confine  a  cotton  wrap  about  the  waist. 
Diminutive  horses  drag  heavy  loads,  though  themselves 
scarcely  bigger  than  large  dogs.  Itinerant  cooks,  wearing 
a  wooden  yoke  about  their  necks,  with  a  cooking  apparatus 
on  one  end,  and  a  little  table  to  balance  it  on  the  other, 
serve  meals  of  fish  and  rice  upon  the  streets  to  laborers  and 
boatmen,  for  a  couple  of  pennies  each.  Money  has  here, 
as  in  most  Eastern  countries,  a  larger  purchasing  power 
than  it  has  with  us  in  the  West.  The  variety  of  fruit  is 
greater  than  in  China  or  Japan,  and  there  are  one  or  two 
species,  such  as  the  delicious  mangosteen,  which  are  found 
indigenous  in  no  other  region. 

The  stranger,  upon  landing  at  Singapore,  is  hardly  pre- 
pared to  find  such  excellent  modern  institutions  as  exist 
here.  Among  them  are  an  attractive  museum,  a  public 
library,  a  Protestant  cathedral,  a  hospital,  public  schools, 
and  a  fine  botanical  garden.  The  island  belongs  to  the 
English  government,  having  been  purchased  by  it  so  long 
ago  as  1 8 19,  from  the  Sultan  of  Johore,  — wise  forethought, 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS,  4 1 

showing  its  importance  as  a  port  of  call  between  England 
and  India. 

A  two  days'  sail  through  waters  which  seem  at  night  like 
a  sea  of  phosphorescence,  every  ripple  producing  flashes 
of  light,  will  take  us  to  the  island  of  Penang,  the  most 
northerly  port  of  the  Straits.  It  resembles  Singapore  in 
its  people,  vegetation,  and  climate,  enjoying  one  long,  un- 
varying summer.  While  the  birds  and  butterflies  are  in 
perfect  harmony  with  the  loveliness  of  nature,  while  the 
flowers  are  glorious  in  beauty  and  in  fragrance,  man  alone 
seems  out  of  place  in  this  region.  Indolent,  dirty,  unclad, 
he  does  nothing  to  improve  such  wealth  of  possibilities  as 
nature  spreads  broadcast  only  in  equatorial  islands.  He 
does  little  for  himself,  nothing  for  others,  while  the  sensu- 
ous life  he  leads  poisons  his  nature,  so  that  virtue  and  vice 
have  no  relative  meaning  for  him.  We  speak  now  of  the 
masses,  the  common  people.  Noble  exceptions  always 
exist.  In  size  Penang  is  a  little  smaller  than  Singapore. 
Its  wooded  hills  of  vivid  greenness  rise  above  the  town  and 
surrounding  sea  in  graceful  undulations,  growing  more  and 
more  lofty  as  they  recede  inland,  until  they  culminate  in 
three  mountain  peaks.  Penang  is  separated  from  the 
mainland  by  a  narrow  belt  of  sea  not  more  than  three 
miles  wide,  giving  it  a  position  of  great  commercial  im- 
portance. 

The  areca-palm,  known  as  the  Penang-tree,  is  the  source 
of  the  betel-nut,  which  is  chewed  by  the  natives  as  a 
stimulant ;  and  as  it  abounds  on  the  island,  it  has  given  it 
the  name  it  bears.  The  town  covers  about  a  square  mile, 
through  which  runs  one  broad,  main  street,  intersected  by 
lesser  thoroughfares  at  right  angles.  A  drive  about  the 
place   gives  us  an  idea  that  it   is  a  thrifty  town,   but  not 


42  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

nearly  so  populous  as  Singapore.  It  is  also  observable 
that  the  Chinese  element  predominates  here.  The  main 
street  is  lined  by  shops  kept  by  them.  The  front  of  the 
dwellings  being  open,  gives  the  passer-by  a  full  view  of  all 
that  may  be  going  on  inside  the  household.  Shrines  are 
nearly  always  seen  in  some  nook  or  corner,  before  which 
incense  is  burning,  this  shrine-room  evidently  being  also 
the  sleeping,  eating,  and  living  room.  The  islands  of 
Penang  and  Singapore  are  free  from  malarial  fevers,  and 
probably  no  places  on  earth  are  better  adapted  to  the 
wants  of  primitive  man,  for  they  produce  spontaneously 
sufficient  nutritious  food  to  support  life  independent  of 
personal  exertion.  The  home  of  the  Malay  is  not  so  clean 
as  that  of  the  ant  or  the  birds ;  even  the  burrowing 
animals  are  neater.  The  native  women  are  graceful  and 
almost  pretty,  slight  in  figure,  and  passionately  fond  of 
ornaments,  covering  their  arms  and  ankles  with  metallic 
rings,  and  thrusting  silver  and  brass  rings  through  their 
ears,  noses,  and  lips. 

The  cocoanut-tree  is  always  in  bearing  on  the  islands  of 
the  Straits,  and  requires  no  cultivation.  Of  the  many 
liberal  gifts  bestowed  upon  the  tropics,  this  tree  is  perhaps 
the  most  valuable.  The  Asiatic  poet  celebrates  in  verse 
the  hundred  uses  to  which  the  trunk,  the  branches,  the 
leaves,  the  fruit,  and  the  sap  are  applied.  In  Penang  a 
certain  number  of  these  trees  are  not  permitted  to  bear 
fruit.  The  embryo  bud  from  which  the  blossoms  and  nuts 
would  spring  is  tied  up  to  prevent  its  expansion ;  a  small 
incision  then  being  made  at  the  end,  there  oozes  in  gentle 
drops  a  pleasant  liquor  called  toddy,  which  is  the  palm 
wine  of  the  poet.  This,  when  it  is  first  drawn,  is  cooling 
and  wholesome,  but  when  it  is  fermented  it  produces    a 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  43 

strong,  intoxicating  spirit.  The  banana  is  equally  prolific 
and  abundant,  and  forms  a  very  large  portion  of  the  food 
of  the  common  people.  In  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  the  town  are  some  plantations  conducted  by  Europeans 
who  live  in  neat  cottages,  with  enclosures  of  cultivated 
flowers,  and  orchards  of  fruit-trees.  Still  further  inland 
are  large  gardens  of  bread-fruit,  nutmegs,  cinnamon,  pepper, 
and  other  spices.  There  are  also  large  fields  of  sugar-cane, 
tobacco,  and  coffee.  The  delicate  little  sensitive  plant 
here  grows  wild,  and  is  equally  tremulous  and  subsiding  at 
the  touch  of  human  hands,  as  it  is  with  us.  Lilies  are 
seen  in  wonderful  variety,  the  stems  covered  with  butter- 
flies nearly  as  large  as  humming-birds. 

Penang  originally  belonged  to  the  Malay  kingdom,  but 
about  the  year  1786  it  was  given  to  an  English  sea-captain 
as  a  marriage-portion  with  the  King  of  Keddah's  daughter, 
and  by  him,  in  course  of  time,  it  was  transferred  to  the 
East  India  Company.  When  Captain  Francis  Light  re- 
ceived it  with  his  dusky  bride,  it  was  the  wild,  uncultivated 
home  of  a  few  hundred  fishermen.  To-day  it  has  a  popu- 
lation of  nearly  a  hundred  thousand. 


44  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 


CHAPTER    IV. 

OUR  course  now  lies  across  the  Indian  Ocean,  west- 
ward. The  rains  which  we  encounter  are  like  floods, 
but  the  air  is  soft  and  balmy,  and  the  deluges  are  of  brief 
continuance.  The  nights  are  serene  and  bright,  so  that  it 
is  delightful  to  lie  awake  upon  the  deck  of  the  steamer 
and  watch  the  stars  now  and  then  screened  by  the  fleecy 
clouds.  In  the  daytime  it  is  equally  interesting  to  ob- 
serve the  ocean.  Laro-e  sea-turtles  come  to  the  surface 
to  sun  themselves,  stretching  their  awkward  necks  to  get 
a  sight  of  our  hull ;  dolphins  and  flying-fish  are  too  abun- 
dant to  be  a  curiosity  ;  big  water-snakes  raise  their  slimy 
heads  a  couple  of  feet  above  the  sea  ;  the  tiny  nautilus 
floats  in  myriads  upon  the  undulating  waves,  and  at  times 
the  ship  is  surrounded  by  a  shoal  of  the  indolent  jelly-fish. 
Mirage  plays  us  strange  tricks  in  the  way  of  optical  delu- 
sion in  these  regions.  We  seem  to  be  approaching  land 
which  we  never  reach,  but  which  at  the  moment  when  we 
should  fairly  make  it,  fades  into  thin  air. 

Though  the  ocean  covers  more  than  three-quarters  of 
the  globe,  but  few  of  us  realize  that  it  represents  more  of 
life  than  does  the  land.  We  are  indebted  to  it  for  every 
drop  of  water  distributed  over  our  hills,  plains,  and  valleys  ; 
for  from  the  ocean  it  has  arisen  by  evaporation  to  return 
again  through  myriads  of  channels.  It  is  really  a  mis- 
nomer to  speak  of  the  sea  as  a  desert  waste  ;  it  is  teeming 
with  inexhaustible  animal  and  vegetable  life.     A  German 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  45 

scientist  has  with  unwearied  industry  secured  and  classi- 
fied over  nine  hundred  species  of  fishes  from  this  division 
of  the  Indian  Ocean  over  which  our  course  takes  us. 
Many  of  these  are  characterized  by  colors  as  dazzHng 
and  various  as  those  of  gaudy-plumed  tropical  birds  and 
flowers. 

Our  next  objective  point  is  Colombo,  the  capital  of 
Ceylon,  situated  about  thirteen  hundred  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Malacca  Straits.  Here  we  find  several  large 
steamships  in  the  harbor,  stopping  briefly  on  their  way  to 
or  from  China,  India,  or  Australia  ;  and  no  sooner  do  we 
come  to  anchor  than  we  are  surrounded  by  the  canoes  of 
the  natives.  They  are  of  very  peculiar  construction,  be- 
ing designed  to  enable  the  occupants  to  venture  out,  how- 
ever rough  the  water  may  chance  to  be,  and  the  surf  is 
always  raging  in  these  open  roadsteads.  The  canoes  con- 
sist of  the  trunk  of  a  tree  hollowed  out,  some  twenty  feet 
in  length,  having  long  planks  fastened  lengthwise  so  as  to 
form  the  sides  or  gunwales  of  the  boat,  which  is  a  couple 
of  feet  deep  and  about  as  wide.  An  outrigger,  consisting 
of  a  log  of  wood  about  one-third  as  long  as  the  canoe,  is 
fastened  alongside  at  a  distance  of  six  or  eight  feet,  by 
means  of  two  arched  poles  of  well-seasoned  bamboo.  This 
outrigger  prevents  any  possibility  of  upsetting  the  boat,  but 
without  it  so  narrow  a  craft  could  not  remain  upright,  even 
in  a  calm  sea.  The  natives  face  any  weather  in  these 
little  vessels. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  to  this  island  England 
banished  Arabi  Pacha  after  the  sanguinary  ba|:tlefield  of 
Tel-el-Keber.  It  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  spots  in 
the  East,  having  been  in  its  prime  centuries  before  the 
birth  of  Christ.     It  was  perhaps  the  Ophir  of  the  Hebrews, 


46  FOOT-FRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

and  it  still  abounds  in  precious  stones  and  mineral  wealth. 
Here  we  observe  the  native  women  strangely  decked  with 
cheap  jewelry  thrust  through  the  tops  and  lobes  of  their 
ears,  in  their  lips  and  nostrils,  while  about  their  necks  hang 
ornaments  consisting  of  bright  sea-shells,  mingled  with 
sharks'  teeth.  If  we  go  into  the  jungle,  we  find  plenty  of 
ebony,  satin-wood,  bamboo,  fragrant  balsam,  and  india- 
rubber  trees ;  we  see  the  shady  pools  covered  with  the 
lotus  of  fable  and  poetry,  resembling  huge  pond-lilies  ;  we 
behold  brilliant  flowers  growing  in  tall  trees,  and  others, 
very  sweet  and  lowly,  blooming  beneath  our  feet.  Vivid 
colors  flash  before  our  eyes,  caused  by  the  blue,  yellow, 
and  scarlet  plumage  of  the  feathered  tribe.  Parrots  and 
paroquets  are  seen  in  hundreds.  Storks,  ibises,  and 
herons  fly  lazily  over  the  lagoons,  and  the  gorgeous  pea- 
cock is  seen  in  his  wild  condition.  The  elephant  is  also 
a  native  here,  and  occasionally  hunts  are  organized  upon 
a  grand  scale  and  at  great  expense  by  English  sportsmen 
who  come  here  for  the  purpose,  and  who  pay  a  heavy  fee 
for  a  license. 

Ceylon  lies  just  off  the  southern  point  of  India;  and 
though  it  is  a  British  colony,  its  government  is  quite  dis- 
tinct from  that  of  the  mainland.  It  forms  a  station  for  a 
large  number  of  troops,  and  is  about  three  times  the  size 
of  Massachusetts. 

Many  of  the  native  women  are  employed  by  the  large 
number  of  English  families  resident  here,  especially  by 
officers'  wives,  as  nurses.  These  last  seem  to  form  a  class 
by  themselves,  and  they  dress  in  the  most  peculiar  manner, 
as  we  see  the  children's  nurses  dressed  in  Rome,  Paris, 
and  Madrid.  The  Singhalese  nurses  wear  a  single  white 
linen  garment  covering  the  body  to  the  knees,  very  low  in 


To  face  p.  47. 


A  SINGHALESE  DANCER. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  47 

the  neck,  with  a  bkie  cut-away  velvet  jacket  covered  with 
silver  braid  and  buttons  and  open  in  front,  a  scarlet  silk 
sash  gathering  the  under-garment  at  the  waist.  The  legs 
and  feet  are  bare,  the  ankles  covered  with  bangles,  or  or-" 
namental  rings,  and  the  ears  heavily  weighed  down  and 
deformed  with  rings  of  silver  and  gold. 

The  vegetation  of  Ceylon  is  what  might  be  expected  of 
an  island  within  so  few  miles  of  the  equator ;  that  is, 
beautiful  and  prolific  in  the  extreme.  The  cinnamon  fields 
are  so  thrifty  as  to  form  a  wilderness  of  green,  though  the 
bushes  grow  but  four  or  five  feet  in  height.  The  cinnamon 
bush,  which  is  a  native  here,  is  a  species  of  laurel,  and 
bears  a  white,  scentless  flower,  scarcely  as  large  as  a  pea. 
The  spice  of  commerce  is  produced  from  the  inner  bark  of 
the  shrub,  the  branches  of  which  are  cut  and  peeled  twice 
annually.  The  plantations  resemble  a  thick,  tangled 
undergrowth  of  wood,  without  any  regularity,  and  are  not 
cultivated  after  being  properly  started.  Ceylon  was  at 
one  time  a  great  producer  of  coffee,  and  still  exports  the 
berry,  but  a  disease  which  attacked  the  leaves  of  the  shrub 
has  nearly  discouraged  the  planters.  Among  the  wild 
animals  are  elephants,  deer,  monkeys,  bears,  and  panthers 
—  fine  specimens  of  which  are  preserved  in  the  excellent 
museum  at  Colombo.  Pearl  oysters  are  found  on  the  coast, 
and  some  magnificent  pearls  are  sent  to  Paris  and  London. 

The  bread-fruit  tree  is  especially  interesting,  with  its 
feathery  leaves,  and  its  melon-shaped  fruit,  weighing  from 
three  to  four  pounds.  This,  the  natives  prepare  in  many 
ways  for  eating,  and  as  the  tree  bears  fruit  continually  for 
nine  months  of  the  year,  it  forms  a  most  important  food- 
supply.  Two  or  three  trees  will  afford  nourishment  for  a 
hearty  man,  and  half  a  dozen  well  cared  for  will  sustain 


48  FO 07 -PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

a  small  family,  a  portion  of  the  fruit  being  dried  and  kept 
for  the  non-producing  months.  Banana  groves,  and  or- 
chards bending  under  the  weight  of  the  rich,  nutritious 
fruit,  tall  cocoanut-trees  with  half  a  ton  of  ripening  nuts  in 
each  tufted  top,  ant-hills  nearly  as  high  as  native  houses, 
rippling  cascades,  small  rivers  winding  through  the  green 
valleys,  and  flowers  of  every  hue  and  shape,  together  with 
birds  such  as  one  sees  preserved  in  northern  museums,  — 
all  these  crowd  upon  our  vision  as  we  wander  about  inland. 

Ceylon  is  rich  in  prehistoric  monuments,  showing  that 
there  once  existed  here  a  great  and  powerful  empire,  and 
leading  us  to  wonder  what  could  have  swept  a  population 
of  millions  from  the  face  of  the  globe  and  have  left  no 
clearer  record  of  their  past.  The  carved  pillars,  skilfully 
wrought,  now  scattered  through  the  forest,  and  often  over- 
grown by  mammoth  trees,  attest  both  material  greatness 
and  far-reaching  antiquity.  It  would  seem  as  though 
nature  had  tried  to  cover  up  the  wrinkles  of  age  with 
blooming  and  thrifty  vegetation. 

We  embark  at  Colombo  for  Adelaide,  the  capital  of 
South  Australia,  steering  a  course  south  by  east  through 
the  Indian  Ocean  for  a  distance  of  about  thirty-five  hun- 
dred miles.  On  this  voyage  we  find  the  nights  so  bright 
and  charming  that  hours  together  are  passed  upon  the 
open  deck  studying  the  stars.  Less  than  two  thousand 
can  be  counted  from  a  ship's  deck  by  the  naked  eye,  but  with 
an  opera-glass  or  telescope  the  number  can  be  greatly  in- 
creased. Among  the  most  interesting  constellations  of  the 
region  through  which  we  are  now  passing,  is  the  Southern 
Cross.  For  those  not  familiar  with  its  location,  a  good 
way  to  find  the  Cross  is  to  remember  that  there  are  two 
prominent  stars  in  the  group    known  as  Centaurus    that 


yOURNEYINGS   IN  MANY  LANDS.  49 

point  directly  towards  it.  That  farthest  from  the  Cross  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  fixed  stars  nearest  to  the  earth,  but 
its  distance  from  us  is  twenty  thousand  times  that  of  the 
sun.  Stellar  distances  can  be  realized  only  by  familiar 
comparison.  For  instance  :  were  it  possible  for  a  person 
to  journey  to  the  sun  in  a  single  day,  basing  the  calculation 
upon  a  corresponding  degree  of  speed,  it  would  require 
fifty-five  years  to  reach  this  fixed  star !  Probably  not  one- 
half  of  those  who  have  sailed  beneath  its  tranquil  beauty 
are  aware  that  near  the  upper  middle  of  the  cross  there  is 
a  brilliant  cluster  of  stars  which,  though  not  visible  to  the 
naked  eye,  are  brought  into  view  with  the  telescope.  In 
these  far  southern  waters  we  also  see  what  are  called  the 
Magellanic  Clouds,  which  lie  between  Canopus  and  the 
South  Pole.  These  light  clouds,  or  what  seem  to  be  such, 
seen  in  a  clear  sky,  are,  like  the  "  Milky  Way,"  visible  neb- 
ulae, or  star-clusters,  at  such  vast  distance  from  the  earth 
as  to  have  by  combination  this  effect  upon  our  vision. 

At  sea  the  stars  assume  perhaps  a  greater  importance 
than  on  land,  because  from  them,  together  with  the  sun,  is 
obtained  latitude  and  longitude,  and  thus  by  their  aid  the 
mariner  determines  his  bearings  upon  the  ocean.  Forty 
or  fifty  centuries  ago  the  Chaldean  shepherds  were  accus- 
tomed to  gaze  upon  these  shining  orbs  in  worshipful  ad- 
miration, but  with  no  idea  of  their  vast  system.  They 
were  to  them  "the  words  of  God,  the  scriptures  of  the 
skies."  It  has  been  left  to  our  period  to  formulate  the 
methods  of  their  constant  and  endless  procession.  All  of 
the  principal  stars  are  now  well  known,  and  their  limits 
clearly  defined  upon  charts,  so  that  we  can  easily  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  them.  The  inhabitants  of  North  America 
have  the  constellation  of  Ursa  Major,  or  the  Great  Bear, 


50      .  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

and  the  North  Star  always  with  them  ;  they  never  wholly 
disappear  below  the  horizon.  When  the  mariner  sailing 
north  of  the  equator  has  determined  the  position  of  the 
"Great  Bear,"  two  of  whose  stars,  known  as  "the  pointers," 
indicate  the  North  Star,  he  can  designate  all  points  of  the 
compass  unerringly.  But  in  the  far  South  Sea  they  are 
not  visible ;  other  constellations,  however,  whose  relative 
positions  are  as  fixed  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere,  become 
equally  sure  guides  to  the  watchful  navigator. 

Having  landed  in  Australia,  before  proceeding  to  visit 
the  several  cities  of  this  great  island-continent  which  pos- 
sesses an  area  of  nearly  three  millions  of  square  miles,  let 
US'  review  some  general  facts  and  characteristics  of  the 
country.  So  far  as  we  can  learn,  it  was  a  land  unknown 
to  the  ancients,  though  it  is  more  than  probable  that  the 
Chinese  knew  of  the  existence  of  Northern  Australia  at  a 
very  early  period  ;  but  until  about  a  century  ago,  it  pre- 
sented only  a  picture  of  primeval  desolation.  The  hard 
work  of  the  pioneer  has  been  accomplished,  and  civilization 
has  rapidly  changed  the  aspect  of  a  large  portion  of  the  great 
south  land.  To-day  this  continent  is  bordered  by  thrifty 
seaports  connected  by  railroads,  coasting-steamers,  turn- 
pikes, and  electric  telegraphs.  It  is  occupied  by  an  intelli- 
gent European  population  numbering  between  three  and 
four  millions,  possessing  such  elements  of  political  and 
social  prosperity  as  place  them  in  an  honorable  position 
in  the  line  of  progressive  nations.  So  favorable  is  the 
climate  that  nearly  the  whole  country  might  be  turned 
into  a  botanical  garden.  Indeed,  Australia  would  seem  to 
be  better  entitled  to  the  name  of  Eldorado  (a  mythical 
country  abounding  in  gold),  so  talked  of  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  than  was  the  imaginary  land  of  untold  wealth  so 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  _      5 1 

confidently  believed  by  the  adventurous  Spaniards,  to  exist 
somewhere  between  the  Orinoco  and  the  Amazon. 

This  new  home  of  the  British  race  in  the  South  Pacific, 
surrounded  by  accessible  seas  and  inviting  harbors,  in- 
spires us  with  vivid  interest.  We  say  *'new,"  and  yet,  geo- 
logically speaking,  it  is  one  of  the  oldest  portions  of  the 
earth's  surface.  While  a  great  part  of  Europe  has  been  sub- 
merged and  elevated,  crumpled  up  as  it  were  into  moun- 
tain chains,  Australia  seems  to  have  been  undisturbed. 
It  is  remarkable  that  in  a  division  of  the  globe  of  such 
colossal  proportions  there  was  found  no  larger  quadruped 
than  the  kangaroo,  and  that  man  was  the  only  animal  that 
destroyed  his  kind.  He,  alas  !  was  more  ferocious  than 
the  lynx,  the  leopard,  or  the  hyena ;  for  these  animals  do 
not  prey  upon  each  other,  while  the  aborigines  of  Australia 
devoured  one  another. 

What  America  was  to  Spain  in  the  proud  days  of  that 
nation's  glory  Australia  has  been  to  England,  and  that  too, 
without  the  crime  of  wholesale  murder,  and  the  spilling  of 
rivers  of  blood,  as  was  the  case  in  the  days  of  Cortez  and 
Pizarro.  The  wealth  poured  into  the  lap  of  England  by 
these  far-away  colonies  belittles  all  the  riches  which  the 
Spaniards  realized  by  the  conquests  of  Mexico  and  Peru. 
Here  is  an  empire  won  without  war,  a  new  world  called 
into  existence,  as  it  were,  by  moral  forces,  an  Eldorado  cap- 
tured without  the  sword.  Here,  Nature  has  spread  her 
generous  favors  over  a  land  only  one-fifth  smaller  than  the 
whole  continent  of  Europe,  granting  every  needed  resource 
wherewith  to  form  a  great,  independent,  and  prosperous 
nation  ;  where  labor  is  already  more  liberally  rewarded,  and 
life  more  easily  sustained,  than  in  any  other  civilized  coun- 
try except  America.     It  is  difficult  to  believe  while  observ- 


52  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

ing  the  present  population,  wealth,  power,  and  prosperity 
of  the  country  at  large,  characterized  by  such  grand  and 
conspicuous  elements  of  empire,  that  it  has  been  settled 
for  so  brief  a  period,  and  that  its  pioneers  were  from  Eng- 
lish prisons.  The  authentic  record  of  life  in  the  colonies 
of  Australia  and  Tasmania  during  the  first  few  years  of 
their  existence,  is  mainly  the  account  of  the  control  of 
lawless  men  by  the  strong  and  cruel  arm  of  military  des- 
potism. 

Up  to  the  present  writing  Australia  has  realized  from 
her  soil  over  three  hundred  and  thirty  millions  of  pounds 
sterling,  or  $1,650,000,000.  Her  territory  gives  grazing  at 
the  present  time  to  over  seventy-five  million  sheep,  which 
is  probably  double  the  number  in  the  United  States. 
When  it  is  remembered  that  the  population  of  this  country 
is  sixty  millions,  and  that  Australia  has  not  quite  four 
millions,  the  force  of  this  comparison  becomes  obvious. 
The  aggregate  amount  of  wool  exported  to  the  mother 
country  is  twenty-eight  times  as  much  as  England  has  re- 
ceived in  the  same  period  from  the  continent  of  Europe. 
The  combined  exports  and  imports  of  the  United  King- 
dom of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  are  a  little  over  one 
hundred  dollars  per  annum  for  each  one  of  the  population. 
In  Australia  the  aggregate  is  a  trifle  over  two  hundred 
dollars  per- head.  The  four  principal  capitals  of  Australia 
contain  over  eight  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  The 
railroads  of  the  country  have  already  cost  over  two  hundred 
million  dollars,  and  are  being  extended  annually.  New 
South  Wales  has  in  proportion  to  its  population  a  greater 
length  of  railways  than  any  other  country  in  the  world, 
while  there  are  some  thirty  thousand  miles  of  telegraph 
lines  within  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 


JOURNEYII^GS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  53 

The  country  is  divided  into  five  provincial  governments : 
New  South  Wales,  Victoria,  Queensland,  South  Australia, 
and  West  Australia.  The  island  of  Tasmania  forms  another 
province,  and  is  separated  from  Victoria  by  Bass's  Strait, 
the  two  being  within  half  a  day's  sail  of  each  other. 
Sydney  is  the  capital  of  New  South  Wales  ;  Melbourne, 
of  Victoria  ;  Adelaide,  of  South  Australia ;  Brisbane,  of 
Queensland ;  Perth,  of  West  Australia ;  and  Hobart,  of 
Tasmania.  It  may  be  remarked  incidentally  that  South 
Australia  would  more  properly  be  designated  by  some 
other  title,  as  it  is  not  South  Australia  at  all.  Victoria 
lies  south  of  it,  and  so  does  a  portion  of  West  Australia. 
The  government  of  these  several  divisions  is  modelled 
upon  that  of  New  South  Wales,  which  is  in  fact  the 
parent  colony  of  them  all. 

New  South  Wales  is  governed  under  a  constitution, 
having  two  houses  of  Parliament.  The  first,  a  legislative 
council,  is  composed  of  a  limited  number  of  members 
nominated  by  the  Crown,  and  who  hold  office  for  life  ;  the 
second,  or  legislative  assembly,  is  composed  of  members 
elected  by  the  people  and  chosen  by  ballot.  All  acts, 
before  becoming  law,  must  receive  the  approval  of  the 
Oueen  of  Eno-land,  thouo;h  this  is  nothing:  more  than  a 
mere  form.  There  is  a  resident  governor  in  each  colony, 
also  appointed  by  the  Queen. 

As  compared  with  our  own  land,  we  find  this  to  be  one 
of  strange  contradictions.  Here,  the  eagles  are  white  and 
the  swans  are  black ;  the  emu,  a  bird  almost  as  large  as 
an  ostrich,  cannot  fly,  but  runs  like  a  horse.  The  princi- 
pal quadruped,  the  kangaroo,  is  elsewhere  unknown  ;  and 
though  he  has  four  legs,  he  runs  upon  two.  When  the 
days   are   longest   with   us   in   America,  they  are  shortest 


54  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TR^AVEL;     OR, 

t 

here.  To  reach  the  tropics,  AustraUans  go  due-north, 
while  we  go  due-south.  With  us  the  seed,  or  stone,  of  the 
cherry  forms  the  centre  of  the  fruit ;  in  Austraha,  the 
stone  grows  on  the  outside.  The  fohage  of  the  trees  in 
America  spreads  out  horizontally  ;  in  this  south-land  the 
leaves  hang  vertically.  When  it  is  day  with  us  it  is  night 
with  them.  There,  Christmas  comes  in  mid-summer  ;  with 
us  in  mid-winter.  Bituminous  and  anthracite  coal  are  with 
us  only  one  color,  —  black ;  but  they  have  white  bitumi- 
nous coal, — white  as  chalk.  The  majority  of  trees  with  us 
shed  their  leaves  in  the  fall  of  the  year  ;  with  them  they 
are  evergreen,  shedding  their  bark  and  not  their  leaves. 

Adelaide  is  situated  about  seven  miles  from  the  sea,  and 
is  surrounded  by  an  amphitheatre  of  hills  rearing  their 
abrupt  forms  not  far  away  from  the  town.  The  capital  is 
so  perfectly  level  that  to  be  seen  to  advantage  it  must  be 
looked  upon  from  some  favorable  elevation.  The  colony 
should  be  known  as  Central  Australia,  on  account  of  its 
geographical  position.  It  is  destined  in  the  near  future  to 
merit  the  name  of  the  granary  of  the  country,  being  already 
largely  and  successfully  devoted  to  agriculture.  This  pur- 
suit is  followed  in  no  circumscribed  manner,  but  in  a  large 
and  liberal  style,  like  that  of  our  best  Western  farmers  in 
the  United  States.  Immense  tracts  of  land  are  also 
devoted  to  stock-raising  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  beef 
for  shipment  to  England  in  fresh  condition.  This  province 
contains  nearly  a  million  square  miles,  and  is  therefore 
ten  times  larger  than  Victoria,  and  fifteen  times  larger 
than  England.  It  extends  northward  from  the  temperate 
zone,  so  that  nearly  one-half  of  its  area  lies  within  the 
tropics,  while  it  has  a  coast-line  of  five  hundred  miles  along 
the  great  Southern  Ocean.     A  vast  portion  of  its  interior 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  55 

is  uninhabited,  and  indeed  unexplored.  The  total  popula- 
tion of  the  whole  colony  is  about  four  hundred  thousand. 
Wheat,  wool,  wine,  copper,  and  meat  are  at  present  the 
chief  exports.  Over  four  million  acres  of  land  are  under 
the  plough.  Though  gold  is  found  here,  it  is  not  so  abun- 
dant as  in  other  sections  of  the  country.  Good  wages 
equalling  those  realized  by  the  average  miners  are  earned 
by  a  dozen  easier  and  more  legitimate  occupations  than 
that  of  gold-digging.  "  Let  us  cherish  no  delusions,"  said 
a  San  Francisco  preacher  on  a  certain  occasion  ;  "  no 
society  has  ever  been  able  to  organize  itself  in  a  satisfac- 
tory manner  on  gold-bearing  soil.  Even  Nature  herself  is 
deceitful ;  she  corrupts,  seduces,  and  betrays  man  ;  she 
laughs  at  his  labor,  she  turns  his  toil  into  gambling,  and 
his  word  into  a  lie  !  "  The  preacher's  deductions  have 
proved  true  as  regards  bodies  of  miners  in  California, 
South  Africa,  New  Zealand,  and  Australia.  And  yet  the 
finding  of  gold  mines  has  stimulated  labor,  immigration, 
and  manly  activity  in  many  directions,  and  has  thus  been 
the  agent  of  undoubted  good  in  other  fields  than  its  own. 

Adelaide,  with  a  population  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand, has  a  noble  university,  quite  equal  in  standing  to 
that  of  any  city  in  the  country.  When  we  remember  how 
youthful  she  is,  it  becomes  a  matter  of  surprise  that  such 
a  condition  has  been  achieved  in  all  the  appointments 
which  go  to  make  up  a  great  city  in  modern  times.  The 
same  remark  applies  to  all  of  the  Australian  capitals,  none 
of  which  are  deficient  in  hospitals,  libraries,  schools,  asy- 
lums, art  galleries,  and  charitable  institutions  generally. 
Few  European  cities  of  twice  the  size  of  these  in  Australia 
can  boast  a  more  complete  organization  in  all  that  goes  to 
promote  true  civilization. 


56  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

The  city  proper  is  separated  from  its  suburbs  by  a  belt 
of  park-lands,  and  the  approaches  are  lined  with  thrifty 
ornamental  trees.  Great  liberality  and  good  judgment 
presided  over  the  laying  out  of  Adelaide.  All  the  streets 
are  broad  and  regular,  running  north  and  south,  east  and 
west.  There  are  no  mysterious  labyrinths,  dark  lanes,  or 
blind  alleys  in  the  city ;  the  avenues  are  all  uniform  in 
width.  It  is  believed  that  the  interior  of  the  continent, 
which  is  largely  embraced  within  this  province,  was  at  a 
comparatively  recent  period  covered  by  a  great  inland  sea. 
Here  are  still  found  mammoth  bones  of  animals,  now  ex- 
tinct, which  have  become  an  object  of  careful  study  to 
scientists.  Africa's  interior  is  scarcely  less  explored  than 
is  Central  Australia.  There  are  thousands  of  square  miles 
upon  which  the  foot  of  a  white  man  has  never  trod.  Tar- 
tary  has  its  steppes,  America  its  prairies,  Egypt  its  des- 
erts, and  Australia  its  "scrub."  The  plains,  so  called,  are 
covered  by  a  low-growing  bush,  compact  and  almost  im- 
penetrable in  places,  composed  of  a  dwarf  eucalyptus. 
The  appearance  of  a  large  reach  of  this  "scrub"  is  deso- 
late indeed,  the  underlying  soil  being  a  sort  of  yellow  sand 
which  one  would  surely  think  could  produce  nothing  else  ; 
yet,  wherever  this  land  has  been  cleared  and  properly  irri- 
gated it  has  proved  to  be  remarkably  fertile. 

All  of  these  colonial  cities  have  botanical  gardens,  in 
the  cultivation  and  arrangement  of  which  much  skill  and 
scientific  knowledge  is  displayed.  In  that  of  Adelaide  we 
see  the  Australian  bottle-tree,  which  is  a  native  of  this 
country  only.  It  receives  its  name  from  its  resemblance 
in  shape  to  a  junk-bottle.  This  tree  has  the  property  of 
storing  water  in  its  hollow  trunk,  —  a  well-known  fact, 
which  has  often  proved  a  providential  supply  for  thirsty 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  57 

travellers  in  a  country  so  liable  to  severe  drought.  Here, 
also,  we  see  the  correa,  with  its  stiff  stem  and  prickly 
leaves,  bearing  a  curious  string  of  delicate,  pendulous 
flowers,  red,  orange,  and  white,  not  unlike  the  fuchsia  in 
form.  The  South  Sea  myrtle  is  especially  attractive,  ap- 
pearing when  in  flower  with  round  clustering  bunches  of 
bloom,  spangled  with  white  stars.  The  styphelia,  a  heath- 
like plant,  surprises  us  with  its  green  flowers.  We  are 
shown  a  specimen  of  the  sandrach-tree,  brought  from 
Africa,  which  is  almost  imperishable,  and  from  which  the 
Mohammedans  invariably  make  the  ceilings  of  their 
mosques.  The  Indian  cotton-tree  looms  up  beside  the 
South  American  aloe — this  last,  with  its  thick,  bayonet- 
like leaves,  is  ornamented  in  wavy  lines  like  the  surface  of 
a  Toledo  blade.  The  grouping  of  these  exotics,  natives 
of  regions  so  far  apart  on  the  earth's  surface,  yet  quite 
domesticated  here,  forms  an  incongruous  though  pleasing 
picture. 

West  Australia,  of  which  Perth  is  the  capital,  is  eight 
hundred  miles  in  width  and  thirteen  hundred  long  from 
north  to  south,  actually  covering  about  one-third  of  the 
continent.  It  embraces  all  that  portion  lying  to  the  west- 
ward of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-ninth  meridian  of 
east  longitude,  and  has  an  area  of  about  a  million  square 
miles.  It  has  few  towns  and  is  very  sparsely  settled, 
Perth  having  scarcely  eleven  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
the  whole  province  a  population  of  not  over  forty-two 
thousand.  Pearl  oysters  abound  upon  its  coast  and  form 
the  principal  export,  being  most  freely  gathered  near 
Torres's  Strait,  which  separates  Australia  from  New  Guinea. 
The  latter  is  the  largest  island  in  the  world,  being  three 
hundred  and  sixty  miles  in  width  by  thirteen  hundred  in 


58  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

length.  Its  natives  are  considered  the  most  barbarous  of 
any  savages  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

From  Adelaide  to  Melbourne  is  about  six  hundred  miles, 
a  distance  accomplished  by  railway.  The  first  sight  of  Mel- 
bourne will  surprise  the  stranger,  though  he  may  be  fairly 
well-informed  about  this  capital  of  Victoria.  No  one  an- 
ticipates beholding  so  grand  a  capital  in  this  far-away  region 
of  the  Pacific.  Where  there  was  only  a  swamp  and  un- 
cleared woods  a  few  years  ago,  there  has  risen  a  city  con- 
taining to-day  a  population  of  four  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand,  embracing  the  immediate  suburbs.  This  capital 
is  unsurpassed  by  any  of  the  British  colonies  in  the  ele- 
gancies and  luxuries  of  modern  civilization,  such  as  broad 
avenues,  palatial  dwellings,  churches,  colossal  warehouses, 
banks,  theatres,  public  buildings,  and  pleasure  grounds. 
It  is  pleasant  to  record  the  fact  that  one-fifth  of  the 
revenue  raised  by  taxation  is  expended  for  educational 
purposes.  Of  few  cities  in  the  new  or  the  old  world  can 
this  be  truthfully  said.  Universities,  libraries,  public  art- 
galleries,  and  museums  do  not  lack  for  the  liberal  and  fos- 
tering care  of  the  government.  No  city,  if  we  except 
Chicago  and  San  Francisco,  ever  attained  to  such  size 
and  importance  in  so  short  a  period  as  has  Melbourne. 

The  river  Yarra-Yarra  runs  through  the  town,  and  is 
navigable  for  large  vessels  to  the  main  wharves,  where  it 
is  crossed  by  a  broad  and  substantial  bridge.  Above  the 
bridge  the  river  is  handsomely  ornamented  with  trees  upon 
its  borders ;  here  the  great  boat-races  take  place,  one  of 
the  most  popular  of  all  local  athletic  amusements,  and  Mel- 
bourne is  famous  for  out-door  sports  of  every  form,  espe- 
cially ball-playing. 

The    activity   of   the    streets   is   remarkable.      English 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  59 

cabs  rattle  about  or  stand  in  long  rows  awaiting  patrons  ; 
four-wheeled  vehicles  of  an  awkward  style,  also  for  hire, 
abound ;  messenger-boys  with  yellow  leather  pouches 
strapped  over  their  shoulders  hurry  hither  and  thither ; 
high-hung  omnibuses  with  three  horses  abreast,  like  those 
of  Paris  and  Naples,  dash  rapidly  along,  well  filled  with 
passengers  ;  men  gallop  through  the  crowd  on  horseback, 
carrying  big  baskets  of  provisions  on  their  arms ;  dog-carts, 
driven  by  smart  young  fellows  with  a  servant  behind  them 
in  gaudy  livery,  cut  in  and  out  among  the  vehicles ;  pow- 
erful draught-horses  stamp  along  the  way,  drawing  heavily- 
laden  drays  ;  milk-carts  with  big  letters  on  their  canvas 
sides  make  themselves  conspicuous,  and  so  do  the  bakers' 
carts  ;  while  light  and  neat  American  wagonettes  glide 
rapidly  along  among  less  attractive  vehicles.  Now  and 
then  a  Chinaman  passes,  with  his  peculiar  shambling  gait, 
with  a  pole  across  his  shoulders  balancing  his  baskets  of 
"truck";  women  with  oranges  and  bananas  for  a  penny 
apiece  meet  one  at  every  corner,  and  still  the  sidewalks 
are  so  broad,  and  the  streets  so  wide,  that  no  one  seems  to 
be  in  the  least  incommoded.  The  fruit  stores  present  a 
remarkable  array  of  tempting  fruits,  among  which  are  the 
mandarin  and  seedless  oranges,  apricots,  green  figs,  grapes, 
passion-fruit,  pineapples,  bananas,  and  many  others,  all  in 
fine  condition.  With  the  exception  of  the  cities  of  Cali- 
fornia, nowhere  else  can  fruit  of  such  choice  varieties  and 
so  cheap  be  found  as  at  Melbourne. 

Victoria  is  one  of  the  youngest  of  the  colonies,  and 
was,  until  the  discovery  of  gold  fields  within  her  borders, 
—  that  is,  in  1851, — a  portion  of  New  South  Wales;  but 
to-day  it  is  the  metropolis  of  Australia.  It  has  not  the 
many  natural   beauties  of  Sydney,  but  it  has  numerous 


6o  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

compensating  advantages,  and  is  the  real  centre  of  colonial 
enterprise  upon  the  continent.  The  admirable  system  of 
street-cars  in  Melbourne  is  worthy  of  all  praise,  use  being 
made  of  the  underground  cable  and  stationary  engine  as  a 
motor,  a  mode  which  is  cheap,  cleanly,  and  popular.  Col- 
lins Street  is  the  fashionable  boulevard  of  the  city,  though 
Burke  Street  nearly  rivals  it  in  gay  promenaders  arid  ele- 
gant shops.  But  in  broad  contrast  to. these  bright  and 
cheerful  centres,  there  are  in  the  northeastern  section  of 
the  town  dirty  alleys  and  by-ways  that  one  would  think 
must  prove  hot-beds  of  disease  and  pestilence,  especially 
as  Melbourne  suffers  from  want  of  a  good  and  thorough 
system  of  domestic  drainage. 

The  public  library  of  the  city  is  a  large  and  impressive 
building,  standing  by  itself,  a  hundred  feet  back  from  the 
street,  on  rising  ground,  and  would  be  creditable  to  any 
European  or  American  city.  It  already  contains  about  a 
hundred  and  thirty  thousand  volumes,  and  is  being  con- 
stantly added  to  by  public  and  private  bequests.  The  in- 
terior arrangements  of  the  library  are  excellent,  affording 
ample  room  for  books  and  all  needed  accommodation  for 
the  public.  In  these  respects  it  is  superior  to  both  the 
Boston  and  Astor  libraries.  Under  the  same  roof  is  a 
museum  containing  an  extensive  collection,  especially  of 
geological  specimens,  mostly  of  native  product. 

Melbourne  has  its  Chinese  quarter,  like  Sydney  and 
San  Francisco  ;  it  is  situated  in  Little  Burke  Street,  just 
back  of  the  Theatre  Royal,  and  forms  a  veritable  China- 
town, with  its  idol  temples,  opium  dens,  lottery  cellars, 
cafes,  low  hovels,  and  kindred  establishments.  Here,  one 
requires  an  experienced  guide  to  enable  him  to  make  his 
way    safely    and   understandingly.      The   peculiar  notices 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  6 1 

posted  upon  the  buildings  in  Chinese  characters  are  a 
puzzle  to  the  uninitiated.  The  signs  over  the  shops  are 
especially  original  and  peculiar ;  they  do  not  denote  the 
name  of  the  owner,  or  particularize  the  business  which 
is  carried  on  within,  but  are  assumed  titles  of  a  flowery 
character,  designed  to  attract  the  fancy  of  the  customers. 
Thus  :  Kong,  Meng  &  Co.  means  "  Bright  Light  Firm ' 
Sun  Kum  Lee  &  Co.  is  in  English  "  New  Golden  Firm ' 
Kwong  Hop  signifies  "New  Agreement  Company";  Hi 
Cheong,  "Peace  and  Prosperity  Firm";  Kwong  Tu  Tye, 
"  Flourishing  and  Peaceful  Company"  ;  and  so  on. 

It  is,  as  a  rule,  the  w^orst  type  of  the  Chinese  who  leave 
their  native  land  to  make  a  new  home  elsewhere,  and  it  is 
not  to  be  expected  that  they  will  be  much  improved  by 
intercourse  with  the  Australian  "larrikins,"  who  are  com- 
posed of  the  lowest  and  most  criminal  orders.  This  refuse 
of  humanity  is  largely  made  up  of  the  rabble  of  London 
and  Liverpool,  many  of  whom  have  had  their  passages 
paid  by  relatives  and  interested  persons  at  home  solely  to 
get  rid  of  them,  while  others  have  worked  their  passage 
hither  to  avoid  merited  punishment  for  crimes  committed 
in  England. 


62  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE  province  of  Victoria  is  the  special  gold-field  of 
Australia,  and  has  produced  two-thirds  of  all  the 
precious  metal  which  statistics  credit  to  the  country  at 
large.  One  of  the  localities  which  has  proved  to  be  the 
most  prolific  in  gold  is  Ballarat,  now  a  charming  and  popu- 
lous city,  next  to  Melbourne  in  importance.  It  lies  nearly 
a  hundred  miles  north  of  the  capital,  at  an  elevation  of 
fifteen  hundred  feet  above  sea-level,  and  is  accessible  by 
railway.  This  is  thought  to  be  the  centre  of  the  richest 
gold-producing  district  in  the  world.  Beechworth,  one 
hundred  and  seventy  miles  northeast  of  IMelbourne,  at  an 
elevation  higher  than  that  of  Ballarat,  is  nearly  as  populous, 
and  as  prolific  in  the  precious  metal.  The  diggings  of 
Maryborough  district,  situated  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
northwest  of  Melbourne,  are  famous,  and  give  occupation 
to  some  eight  thousand  miners.  Castlemaine,  seventy-five 
miles  north  of  the  capital,  has  proved  very  profitable  in  its 
yield  of  gold.  Nearly  forty  square  miles  of  gold-bearing 
lands  are  being  worked  by  Europeans  and  Chinese  in  the 
district  of  Ararat,  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north  of  Mel- 
bourne. From  these  several  sources  of  mineral  wealth 
there  flows  constantly  towards  the  capital  a  stream  of 
riches,  making  it  probably  the  greatest  gold-producing 
centre  on  the  globe.  There  are  about  fifty  thousand  peo- 
ple, in  all,  engaged  in  gold-mining  in  the  several  parts  of 
Victoria,  at  least  ten  thousand  of  whom  are  Chinese.     Still, 


...  V.      ..:n.n>,  11,111 


III  ^1 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  63 

reliable  statistics  show  that  in  the  aggregate,  the  corn  and 
wool  of  this  province  are  alone  of  more  monetary  value 
than  is  the  result  from  all  the  gold  produced  by  her  mines. 

The  kangaroos  are  found  in  various  parts  of  Victoria,  in 
their  wild  state.  They  are  usually  discovered  in  the  thick 
woods,  sitting  upright  in  circles  of  a  dozen  or  more,  as  grave 
as  though  engaged  in  holding  a  formal  council.  On  such 
occasions  their  short  forepaws  hang  limp  before  them, 
while  their  restless  heads  and  delicate  ears  turn  hither  and 
thither  in  watchful  care  against  surprise.  Notwithstanding 
their  huge  paunches,  big  hindquarters,  and  immense  tails, 
there  is  something  graceful  and  attractive  about  these  crea- 
tures. When  they  are  young  they  are  as  playful  as  kittens. 
Even  when  running  away  from  pursuit,  —  a  process  per- 
formed by  enormous  leaps,  often  covering  a  rod  at  a 
flying  jump,  —  there  is  a  certain  airy  grace  and  harmony 
of  movement  attending  their  motions.  Dogs  and  horses 
have  more  power  of  endurance  than  the  kangaroo,  and  are 
thus  enabled  to  run  it  down ;  but  neither  horse  nor  dog 
can  achieve  the  same  degree  of  speed  for  moderate  dis- 
tances. If  the  chase  occurs  in  a  wood  where  there  are 
numerous  obstacles,  like  heavy  fallen  logs,  the  kangaroo  is 
safe,  since  he  can  jump  all  such  impediments  without 
diminishing  his  speed. 

To  get  a  view  of  the  big  gum-trees,  one  visits  the  Fern- 
shaw  Mountain  district.  We  are  told  of  one  fallen  mon- 
arch, which  was  measured  by  a  government  surveyor, 
having  a  length  upon  the  ground  of  four  hundred  and 
seventy-four  feet.  The  Pyramid  of  Cheops  is  hardly  as  high 
as  was  this  tree  when  it  stood  erect.  The  average  height 
of  these  marvels  is  from  three  hundred  to  four  hundred 
feet.     They  are  situated  in  a  valley  protected  from  winds, 


64  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

and  are  favorably  located  to  promote  their  growth,  as  well 
as  to  protect  them  from  sudden  gales  or  tornadoes  such  as 
have  prostrated  large  trees  in  our  Yosemite. 

The  subject  of  large  trees  is  one  of  more  than  ordinary 
interest ;  the  largest  one  known  in  the  world  is  situated  in 
Mascoli,  near  the  base  of  Mount  Etna,  on  the  island  of 
Sicily.  It  measures  one  hundred  and  ninety  feet  in  cir- 
cumference. It  is  a  chestnut-tree,  and  still  bears  fruit  in 
abundance.  The  oldest  tree  is  believed  to  be  a  famous 
cypress  still  growing  in  Oaxaca,  Mexico.  Humboldt  saw  it 
in  1855,  when  he  recorded  the  measurement  as  being 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  in  circumference  and 
three  hundred  and  eighty-two  feet  between  the  out-spread 
branches.  In  Nevada,  United  States,  stands  what  is 
well  known  as  the  "  Dead  Giant  Redwood  Tree,"  which 
measures  one  hundred  and  nineteen  feet  in  circumference, 
and  which  is  believed  to  have  been  growing  in  the  days  of 
Julius  Caesar.  Near  this  mammoth  are  a  dozen  other 
trees,  varying  in  size  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  feet 
in  circumference.  The  ''  Grizzly  Giant,"  monarch  of  the 
Mariposa  Grove  in  California,  measures  ninety-two  feet  in 
circumference.  The  largest  tree  in  the  United  States 
stands  near  Bear  Creek,  California,  measuring  one  hundred 
and  forty  feet  in  circumference.  It  is  only  by  comparison 
with  familiar  objects  that  we  can  realize  these  extraordi- 
nary dimensions. 

We  shall  be  pretty  sure  to  see  in  the  woods  of  Victoria 
a  most  curious  example  of  bird-life  and  bird-instinct,  in  the 
instance  of  what  is  known  as  the  bower-bird.  This  pecu- 
liar little  creature  builds  a  cunning  play-house,  a  tiny  shady 
bower  which  it  ornaments  with  vines  and  highlv  colored 
feathers  of  other  birds,  besides  the  yellow  blossoms  of  the 


To  face  p.  64. 


EMU   HUNTING  IN   AUSTRALIA. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  65 

wattle-tree  and  many  light-green  ferns.  In  this  ingen- 
iously contrived  sylvan  retreat  the  feathered  architect  runs 
about  and  holds  a  sort  of  carnival,  to  which  others  of  his 
tribe  gather.  Here  the  little  party  chirp  vigorously,  and 
strut  about  in  a  most  ludicrous  manner. 

The  glamour  of  gold-seeking  has  too  much  weight  in 
inducing  emigration  to  this  region  of  the  South  Seas.  An 
industrious  and  worthy  person  is  sure  to  make  a  good  liv- 
ing here,  and  indeed  so  one  might  say  he  would  do  almost 
anywhere.  He  may  make  a  fortune  in  Australia,  but  he 
cannot /zV/^  it  up, — he  must  work  it  up.  The  gold  nug- 
gets which  are  occasionally  found,  never  amount  to  much  as 
regards  the  benefit  of  the  finder.  It  is  upon  the  whole  a 
fortunate  day  for  the  respectable  immigrant  who  has  any 
degree  of  ability,  when  he  decides  to  turn  his  back  upon  gold- 
digging,  and  adopt  some  more  legitimate  business.  The 
great  elements  of  success  are  the  same  in  Australia  as  in 
California,  Africa,  or  Massachusetts  ;  namely,  steadiness  of 
purpose,  application,  and  temperance. 

Sydney  is  connected  with  Melbourne  by  a  railway  some 
six  hundred  miles  in  length  ;  but  the  pleasantest  way  to 
reach  it,  either  from  the  north  or  the  south,  is  by  water. 
We  enter  the  harbor  through  an  opening  which  is  called 
Sydney  Heads,  formed  by  two  frowning  cliffs  on  either  side 
of  the  entrance.  Having  left  the  Heads  behind,  we  pass 
Botany  Bay,  seven  miles  below  the  city,  once  a  penal  col- 
ony for  English  convicts,  but  now  a  lovely,  rural  retreat, 
which  retains  nothing  of  its  ill-repute  but  its  name.  The 
aspect  of  the  famous  harbor,  with  its  lake-like  expanse,  its 
many  green  islands  with  handsome  residences  scattered 
over  them,  its  graceful  promontories,  and  the  abundance  of 
semi-tropical  vegetation,  all  together  form  the  loveliest  pic- 


66  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

ture  imaginable.  It  may  well  be  the  pride  of  the  citizens 
of  Sydney. 

Upon  landing,  we  find  great  irregularity  prevailing  in  the 
street  architecture.  George  Street  is  the  main  thorough- 
fare, and  is  two  miles  in  length,  containing  many  stores  fur- 
nished as  well  as  the  average  of  those  in  Vienna  or  Paris. 
There  are  fine  business  edifices,  having  massive  French 
plate  glass  windows  which  are  admirably  appointed.  The 
peculiar  conformation  of  the  town  makes  the  side  streets 
precipitous,  so  that  a  large  portion  of  the  city  is  composed 
of  hilly  avenues.  Like  the  old  streets  of  Boston,  those  of 
Sydney  were  the  growth  of  chance,  and  were  not  originally 
laid  out,  like  those  of  Melbourne  and  Adelaide.  Our  Wash- 
ington Street,  Boston,  was  once  a  cow-path,  while  the 
present  site  of  George  Street  in  Sydney  was  a  meandering 
bullock-track. 

This  capital,  like  the  two  we  have  already  visited  in 
Australia,  has  a  superb  botanical  garden  covering  some 
forty  acres  of  land.  The  grounds  extend  on  a  gradual  in- 
cline to  the  shores  of  the  beautiful  bay,  forming  a  semi- 
circle round  what  is  known  as  Farm  Cove,  a  picturesque 
indentation  of  the  harbor,  close  to  Government  House. 
One  special  charm  of  these  delightful  grounds  is  the  fact 
that  they  are  accessible  by  a  walk  of  about  five  minutes 
from  the  centre  of  the  city.  It  is  not  necessary  to  make 
an  excursion  in  order  to  reach  them,  as  is  the  case  with 
many  similar  resorts,  such  as  Sydenham  in  London,  Cen- 
tral Park,  New  York,  or  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  Paris.  Here 
semi-arctic  and  semi-tropical  plants  and  trees  are  found 
growing  together,  and  all  parts  of  the  world  seem  to  be 
liberally  represented.  The  hardy  Scotch  fir  and  delicate 
palm  crowd  each  other  ;  the  india-rubber-tree  and  the  laurel 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  6/ 

are  close  friends ;  the  California  pine  and  the  Florida 
orange  thrive  side  by  side ;  so  with  the  silvery  fern-tree  of 
New  Zealand,  and  the  guava  of  Cuba.  China,  Japan, 
India,  Africa,  Egypt,  and  South  America  have  all  furnished 
representative  trees  and  shrubs  for  the  beautifying  of  these 
comprehensive  gardens. 

There  is  here  a  fine  specimen  of  the  Australian  musk- 
tree,  which  attains  a  height  of  nearly  twenty  feet,  and  ex- 
hales from  leaf  and  bark  a  peculiar  sweet  odor,  though  not 
at  all  like  what  its  name  indicates.  Here  we  see  also  the 
she-oak-tree,  which  is  said  to  emit  a  curious  wailing  sound 
during  the  quietest  state  of  the  atmosphere,  when  there  is 
not  a  breath  of  wind  to  move  the  branches  or  the  leaves. 
This  tree  is  found  growing  near  the  sea  in  Australia,  and 
is  said  to  have  borrowed  the  murmur  of  the  conch-shell. 
It  has  proved  to  be  the  inspiring  theme  of  many  a  local 
poet.  The  flowers  in  this  garden  are  as  attractive  as  the 
trees ;  fuchsias,  roses,  and  camellias  are  in  great  perfection 
and  variety,  flanked  by  a  species  of  double  pansies  and  a 
whole  army  of  brilliant  tulips.  Flowers  bloom  in  every 
month  of  the  year  in  this  region,  out  of  doors,  and  are 
rarely  troubled  by  the  frost. 

The  excellent  university  of  Sydney  is  admirably  situated, 
and  is  the  first  that  was  founded  in  the  Southern  Hemi- 
sphere. The  city  has  also  its  art-gallery,  and  free  public 
library,  with  over  a  hundred  thousand  volumes.  It  has 
also  hospitals,  churches,  and  many  charitable  institutions, 
with  various  schools.  Sydney  holds  high  rank  as  a  British 
colonial  city,  and  deservedly  so,  having  special  reason 
for  pride  in  the  complete  system  of  her  charitable  and 
educational  organizations,  her  noble  public  buildings,  and 
the  general  character  of  her  leading  citizens.     Land  in  the 


6S  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

city  and  immediate  suburbs  is  held  at  prices  averaging  as 
high  as  in  Boston  and  New  York,  and  the  wealth  of  the 
people  is  represented  to  be  very  great  in  the  aggregate. 

Australia  in  its  extreme  breadth,  between  Shark's  Bay 
on  the  west  and  Sandy  Cape  on  the  eastern  shore,  meas- 
ures twenty-four  hundred  miles  ;  and  from  north  to  south, 
—  that  is,  from  Cape  York  to  Cape  Atway,  —  it  is  probably 
over  seventeen  hundred  miles  in  extent.  The  occupied 
and  improved  portions  of  the  country  skirt  the  seacoast  on 
the  southern  and  eastern  sides,  which  are  covered  with 
cities,  towns,  villages,  and  hamlets.  The  country  occupied 
for  sheep-runs  and  cattle-ranches  is  very  sparsely  inhab- 
ited. The  reason  for  this  is  obvious,  since  the  owner  of  a 
hundred  thousand  sheep  requires  between  two  and  three 
hundred  thousand  acres  to  feed  them  properly.  The  rela- 
tive proportion  as  to  sheep  and  land  is  to  allow  two  and  a 
third  acres  to  each  animal. 

The  great  dividing  mountain-chain  of  Australia  is  near 
the  coast-line  in  the  south  and  east,  averaging  perhaps  a 
hundred  miles  or  more  from  the  sea.  Nearly  all  the  gold 
which  the  land  has  produced  has  come  from  the  valleys 
and  hillsides  of  this  range.  The  gold-diggings  of  New 
South  Wales  have  proved  to  be  very  rich  in  some  sections ; 
but  unlike  those  of  Queensland  and  Victoria,  the  precious 
metal  is  here  found  mostly  in  alluvial  deposits. 

Many  nationalities  are  represented  in  Australia  and  New 
Zealand,  but  the  majority  are  English,  Scotch,  and  Irish. 
The  officials  of  New  South  Wales  especially,  look  to  Eng- 
land for  favors  which  a  political  separation  would  cut  them 
off  from  ;  among  these  are  honorary  titles  and  crown  ap- 
pointments of  a  paying  nature.  The  constitution  under 
which  the  colonies  are  living  is  such  as  to  entitle  them  to 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  69 

be  called  democracies.  In  many  respects  the  local  govern- 
ment is  more  liberal  and  advanced  than  in  England. 
Church  and  State,  for  instance,  are  here  kept  quite  distinct 
from  each  other.  As  to  the  legislative  power  of  the  colo- 
nies, it  is  seldom  interfered  with  by  the  home  govern- 
ment. 

A  journey  of  about  five  hundred  miles  northward,  either 
along  the  coast  by  steamer,  or  by  railway  inland,  will  take 
us  to  Brisbane,  the  capital  of  Queensland,  which  has  a 
population  of  about  fifty  thousand.  Until  i860  it  was  an 
appendage  of  New  South  Wales,  but  was  in  that  year 
formed  into  an  independent  colony.  The  site  of  the  city 
is  a  diversified  surface,  with  the  river  whose  name  it  bears 
winding  gracefully  through  it,  about  twenty-four  miles 
from  its  mouth;  though  in  a  direct  line  it  would  be  but 
half  that  distance  to  where  it  empties  into  Moreton  Bay, 
one  of  the  largest  on  the  coast  of  Australia.  It  was  dis- 
covered by  Captain  Cook  in  1770,  and  is  formed  by  two 
long  sandy  islands  running  north  and  south,  named  respec- 
tively Standbroke  and  jMoreton  Islands,  enclosing  between 
them  and  the  mainland  a  spacious  sheet  of  water  more 
than  thirty  miles  long  and  six  or  eight  wide,  beautified  by 
fertile  islands. 

On  approaching  Brisbane  by  sea  one  is  puzzled  at  first 
to  find  w^here  the  mouth  of  the  river  can  be,  so  completely 
is  it  hidden  by  the  mangrove  swamps  which  skirt  the  coast. 
A  pleasant  little  watering-place  is  situated  close  at  hand, 
named  Sandgate,  which  is  connected  by  hourly  stages 
with  the  city.  Several  small  rivers,  all  of  which,  however, 
are  more  or  less  navigable,  empty  into  Moreton  Bay, 
showing  that  the  district  inland  hereabouts  must  be  well 
watered.      It   is  less  than  fifty  years  since  Brisbane  was 


70  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

opened  to  free  settlers,  having  been  previously  only  a  penal 
station  for  English  criminals ;  but  of  this  taint  resting  upon 
the  locality,  the  same  may  be  said  as  of  Sydney,  or  Hobart, 
in  Tasmania,  — scarcely  a  trace  remains. 

Queen  Street  is  the  principal  thoroughfare,  and  is  lined 
with  handsome  stores  and  fine  edifices,  there  being  no  lack 
of  architectural  excellence  in  either  public  or  private  build- 
ings. Like  its  sister  cities,  it  has  a  botanical  garden,  the 
climate. here  favoring  even  a  more  extensive  out-door  dis- 
play of  tropical  and  delicate  vegetation  than  at  Melbourne 
or  Sydney.  An  intelligent  spirit  of  enterprise  is  evinced 
by  the  citizens  of  Brisbane,  and  everything  goes  to  show 
that  it  is  destined  to  become  a  populous  and  prosperous 
business  centre.  Its  climate,  especially,  is  considered 
almost  perfect.  Queensland  is  very  rich  in  gold-produc- 
ing mines,  but  it  has  also  almost  endless  rolling  plains 
covered  with  herbage  suitable  for  the  support  of  great 
herds  and  flocks,  where  some  fourteen  millions  of  sheep 
are  now  yielding  meat  and  wool  for  export,  and  where 
some  three  millions  of  cattle  are  herded.  The  real  great- 
ness of  the  country  is  to  be  found  in  its  agricultural  capac- 
ity, which  is  yet  to  be  developed.  A  very  pleasant  trip 
may  be  enjoyed  up  the  Brisbane  River  and  Bremer  Creek, 
on  which  latter  stream  Ipswich  is  situated.  It  is  twice  as 
far  by  water  as  by  land,  but  the  sail  is  delightful,  often 
affording  charming  views  of  the  city  from  the  river,  while 
at  the  same  time  passing  suburban  residences,  flourishing 
farms,  banana-groves,  cotton-fields,  sugar-plantations,  and 
orange-orchards. 

Queensland  is  more  than  five  times  as  large  as  the  United 
Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  it  possesses  an 
immense  amount  of    undeveloped  resources  of    the  most 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  7 1 

promising  character.  The  sun  shines  here  with  much 
more  tropical  ardor  than  in  New  South  Wales  or  Victoria. 
The  palm  takes  the  place  of  the  eucalyptus  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent. The  tulip-tree,  rosewood,  sandalwood,  and  satin- 
wood,  which  are  not  observed  further  south,  greet  us  here. 
The  aborigines  are  oftener  met  than  elsewhere,  as  they 
prefer  to  live  in  a  more  temperate  climate  than  is  found 
southward,  and  to  be  where  they  can  have  the  country 
more  to  themselves.  They  probably  do  not  number  over 
thirty  thousand  in  all,  and  are  slowly  but  surely  de- 
creasing before  the  advance  of  the  whites.  Even  when 
first  discovered  they  were  but  a  handful  of  people,  so  to 
speak,  scattered  over  an  immense  territory.  They  have 
still  no  distinct  notion  of  the  building  of  houses  in  which 
to  live,  or  at  least  they  adopt  none,  though  they  have  the 
example  of  the  whites  constantly  before  them.  They  are 
very  ugly,  having  black  skins,  flat  noses,  wide  nostrils,  and 
deep-sunken  eyes  wide  apart.  A  bark  covering,  much  ruder 
than  anything  which  would  content  an  American  Indian, 
forms  their  only  shelter,  and  they  often  burrow  content- 
edly under  the  lee  of  an  overhanging  rock  or  hillside. 

The  Australian  blacks  have  plenty  of  legends  of  the 
most  barbaric  character,  but  by  no  means  void  of  poetical 
features.  They  believe  that  the  earth  was  created  by  a 
being  of  supreme  attributes,  whom  they  call  Nourelle,  and 
who  lives  in  the  sky.  They  entertain  the  idea  that  be- 
cause the  sun  gives  heat  it  needs  fuel,  and  that  when  it 
descends  below  the  horizon  it  procures  a  fresh  supply  for 
its  fires.  The  stars  are  supposed  to  be  the  dwellings  of 
departed  chiefs.  The  serpent  is  believed  to  contain  the 
spirit  of  a  real  devil.  To  eat  the  kidney  of  an  enemy,  it 
is  thought  by  them,  imparts  to  the  one  who  swallows  it 


72  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

the  strength  of  the  dead  man.  Any  number  above  five, 
these  blacks  express  by  saying,  "it  is  as  the  leaves,"  not 
to  be  counted.  The  white  man's  locomotive  is  an  impris- 
oned fire-devil,  kept  under  control  by  water.  The  light- 
ning is  the  angry  expression  of  some  enraged  god. 

The  most  peculiar  weapon  possessed  by  these  aborigines 
is  one  which  originated  with  them,  and  is  known  as  the 
boomerang,  —  of  which  every  one  has  heard,  but  which 
few  have  seen.  It  is  a  weapon  whose  characteristics  have 
caused  its  name  to  pass  into  a  synonym  for  anything  which 
turns  upon  the  person  who  uses  it.  It  seems  at  first  sight 
to  be  only  a  flat,  crooked,  or  curved  piece  of  polished  wood, 
about  twenty-eight  inches  long  and  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  in  thickness.  There  is  nothing  remarkable  about 
this  weapon  until  we  see  a  native  throw  one.  In  doing 
this  he  carefully  poises  himself,  makes  a  nice  calculation 
as  to  distance,  raises  his  arm  above  his  head,  and  brings  it 
down  with  a  sort  of  swoop,  swiftly  launching  the  curved 
wood  from  his  hand.  At  first  the  boomerang  skims  along 
near  the  ground,  then  rises  four  or  five  feet,  but  only  to 
sink  again,  and  again  to  rise.  As  we  carefully  watch  its 
course,  and  suppose  it  just  about  to  stop  in  its  erratic 
career,  and  drop,  spent,  to  the  ground,  it  suddenly  ceases 
its  forward  flight,  and  rapidly  returns  to  the  thrower.  It 
is  thought  that  no  white  man  can  exactly  learn  the  trick 
of  throwing  this  strange  weapon,  and  certainly  few  ever 
care  to  attempt  it  a  second  time. 

Ethnologists  tell  us  that  these  blacks  belong  to  the  Ethi- 
opian race,  — they  are  the  lowest  probably  of  all  the  human 
family.  The  conviction  forces  itself  upon  us  that  they 
must  be  the  remnant  of  some  ancient  people  of  whom  we 
have  no  historic  record.     When  Australia  was  first  taken 


yoURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  73 

possession  of  by  the  whites,  it  seems  to  have  been,  if  the 
term  is  in  any  instance  admissible,  a  God-forsaken  land ; 
certainly  it  was  the  most  destitute  of  natural  productions 
of  any  portion  of  the  globe.  We  can  well  believe  that" 
before  these  blacks  came  hither,  —  perhaps  a  thousand 
years  ago,  —  this  land  was  untrodden   by  human   beings. 

No  species  of  grain  was  known  to  these  natives  ;  not  a 
single  fruit  w^orthy  of  notice  grew  wild,  and  not  an  edible 
root  of  value  was  produced.  The  only  game  of  any  size 
was  the  kangaroo  and  a  few  species  of  birds.  Now,  the 
trees,  fruits,  vegetables,  and  game  of  all  regions  have 
become  domesticated  here,  proving  to  be  highly  produc- 
tive, whether  transplanted  from  tropical  or  from  semi- 
tropical  regions. 

Queensland  measures  thirteen  hundred  miles  from  north 
to  south,  and  is  about  eight  hundred  miles  in  width,  con- 
taining a  population  at  the  present  time  of  three  hundred 
and  forty  thousand.  The  climate  may  be  compared  to  that 
of  Madeira,  and  it  is  entirely  free  from  the  hot  winds  which 
sometimes  render  Sydney  and  Melbourne  so  uncomforta- 
ble. Leaving  out  West  Australia,  which  is  yet  so  little 
developed,  the  country  may  be  divided  thus  :  Queensland 
is  the  best  and  most  extensive  grazing  section  ;  in  this 
respect  New  South  Wales  comes  next.  South  Australia 
is  characterized  by  its  prolific  grain-fields,  and  Victoria  is 
richest  in  auriferous  deposits  ;  but  there  is  gold  enough  in 
all  of  these  colonies  to  afford  constant  stimulus  to  mining 
enterprise,  fresh  discoveries  in  this  line  being  made  every 
month.  It  is  proposed  to  separate  the  north  of  Queens- 
land from  the  south,  at  the  twenty-second  parallel  of  lati- 
tude, and  to  form  the  northern  portion  into  a  separate 
colony.     As  Queensland  is  larger  than  England,  France, 


74  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

and  Belgium  with  Holland  and  Denmark  combined,  there 
can  be  no  want  of  territory  for  such  a  political  division  : 
population,  however,  is  needed. 

We  will  now  turn  our  steps  southward,  by  the  way  of 
Sydney  and  Melbourne,  to  Tasmania.  At  the  last-named 
city  we  take  a  coasting  steamer  passing  down  the  river 
Yarra-Yarra,  the  muddiest  of  water-ways,  until  Bass's  Strait 
is  reached,  across  which  the  course  is  due-south  for  a 
hundred  and  twenty  miles.  This  is  a  reach  of  ocean 
travel  which  for  boisterousness  and  discomfort  can  be 
said  to  rival  the  English  Channel,  between  Calais  and 
Dover,  As  the  coast  of  Tasmania  is  approached,  a  tall 
lighthouse,  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  above  sea-level, 
first  attracts  the  attention,  designating  the  mouth  of  the 
Tamar  River.  While  crossing  the  Strait  we  are  sur- 
rounded by  a  great  variety  of  sea-birds,  among  which  are 
the  cape-pigeon,  the  stormy  petrel,  and  the  gannet,  which 
last  is  the  largest  of  ocean  birds  next  to  the  albatross. 

On  drawing  still  nearer  to  the  shore,  flocks  of  pelicans 
are  observed  upon  the  rocks,  and  that  most  awkward  of 
birds,  the  penguin,  is  seen  in  idle  groups.  He  is  a  good 
swimmer,  but  his  apologetic  wings  are  not  intended  for 
flying. 

We  pass  up  the  Tamar  River,  through  a  narrow,  wind- 
ing channel  for  a  distance  of  forty  miles  before  coming 
to  the  harbor  and  town  of  Launceston.  The  many  tall, 
smoking  chimney-shafts  which  meet  the  eye  indicate  that 
the  town  is  busy  smelting  ores,  dug  from  the  neighboring 
mineral  hills  and  valleys.  It  is  a  pleasant  and  thrifty  little 
city,  somewhat  liable  to  earthquakes  and  their  attendant 
inconveniencies.  The  place  has  a  population  of  ten  or 
twelve  thousand,  and  is  named  after  a  town  in  Cornwall, 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  75 

England.  We  have  left  Australia  proper  far  behind  us, 
but  the  Bass  Strait  which  separates  that  land  from  Tas- 
mania is  evidently  of  modern  formation.  The  similarity 
of  the  vegetation,  minerals,  animal,  and  vegetable  life  of 
the  two  countries  shows  that  this  island  must,  at  some 
time  in  the  long-past  ages,  have  been  connected  with  the 
mainland.  And  yet  the  aborigines  of  Tasmania  were 
a  race  quite  distinct  from  those  of  Australia,  so  different, 
indeed,  as  only  to  resemble  them  in  color.  They  were  a 
well-formed,  athletic  people,  with  brilliant  eyes,  curly  hair, 
flat  noses,  and  elaborately  tattooed  bodies.  This  ingenious 
and  barbaric  ornamentation,  practised  by  isolated  savage 
races,  seems  to  have  been  universal  among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Pacific  Islands,  though  the  great  distances  which 
separate  them,  as  well  as  the  lack  of  all  ordinary  means  of 
intercommunication,  would  lead  to  the  belief  that  they 
could  not  have  borrowed  the  idea  from  one  another.  So 
late  as  1828  there  were  a  few  of  the  Tasmanian  aborigines 
still  alive,  but  to-day  there  is  not  a  representative  of  the 
race  in  existence. 

When  the  country  cast  off  the  disgrace  of  being  a  penal 
colony,  the  name  it  bore  was  very  judiciously  changed  from 
Van  Dieman's  Land  to  that  of  Tasmania,  in  honor  of  its 
first  discoverer,  Abel  Janssen  Tasman,  the  famous  Dutch 
navigator  of  the  seventeenth  century.  We  should  perhaps 
qualify  the  words  "first  discoverei."  Tasman  was  the  first 
accredited  discoverer,  but  he  was  less  entitled  to  impart 
his  name  to  this  beautiful  island  than  were  others.  Cap- 
tain Cook,  w^ith  characteristic  zeal  and  sagacity,  explored, 
surveyed,  and  described  it,  whereas  Tasman  scarcely  more 
than  sighted  it.  However,  any  name  was  preferable  to  that 
of  Van  Dieman's  Land,  which  had  become  the  synonyme 


'J 6  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

for  a  penal  station,  and  with  which  is  associated  the  mem- 
ory of  some  of  the  most  outrageous  and  murderous  acts  of 
cruelty  for  which  a  civilized  government  was  ever  respon- 
sible. 

The  whole  island  has  now  a  population  of  about  one 
hundred  and  thirty  thousand,  and  a  total  area  of  over 
twenty-four  thousand  square  miles.  It  is  not  quite  so  large 
as  Ireland.  Lying  nearer  to  the  Antarctic  Circle  it  is  of 
course  cooler  than  the  continent,  but  the  influence  of  the 
sea,  which  completely  surrounds  it,  renders  the  climate 
more  equable.  The  general  aspect  of  the  country  is  that 
of  being  occupied  by  thrifty  farmers  of  advanced  ideas, 
such  as  carry  on  their  calling  understandingly,  and  more 
like  well-populated  America  than  sparsely-inhabited  Aus- 
tralia. Our  native  fruits  —  apples,  peaches,  pears,  and  the 
like  —  thrive  here  in  such  abundance,  as  to  form  a  prom- 
inent item  in  the  exports,  besides  promoting  a  large  and 
profitable  industry  in  the  packing  of  preserved  fruits, 
which  are  in  universal  use  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand. 
These  canned  fruits  have  an  excellent  and  well-deserv^ed 
reputation.  Here,  also,  we  find  enormous  trees,  with  a 
circumference  of  eighty  feet  near  the  ground,  and  a  height 
of  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  Fern-trees,  with  their 
graceful  palm-like  formation,  are  frequently  seen  thirty 
feet  in  height.  The  country  is  well-wooded  generally,  and 
traversed  by  pleasant  watercourses  ;  it  is  singularly  fertile, 
and  rich  in  good  harbors,  especially  upon  the  east  coast. 
In  short,  its  hills,  forests,  and  plains  afford  a  pleasing  vari- 
ety of  scenery,  while  its  rich  pastures  invite  the  stock- 
breeder to  reap  a  goodly  harvest  in  the  easiest  manner. 

Launceston  is  situated  at  the  head  of  navigation,  on  the 
Tamar,  where  the  town  nestles  in  the  lap  of  a  valley  sur- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  7/ 

rounded  by  high  elevations.  It  is  regularly  laid  out  in 
broad  streets,  lighted  by  gas,  and  has  a  good  water-supply 
brought  from  St.  Patrick's  River,  fifteen  miles  east  of  the 
city.  There  are  numerous  substantial  stone  buildings,  and 
everything  bears  a  business-like  aspect.  There  is  a  public 
library,  and  several  free  schools  of  each  grade.  The 
North  and  South  Elk  Rivers  rise  on  different  sides  of  Ben 
Lomond,  and  after  flowing  through  some  romantic  plains 
and  gorges,  they  join  each  other  at  Launceston.  The  sky- 
reaching  mountain  just  named  is  worthy  of  its  Scotch 
counterpart ;  between  it  and  Launceston  is  some  of  the 
finest  river  and  mountain  scenery  in  all  Tasmania.  Ben 
Lomond  is  the  chief  object  in  the  landscape,  wherever 
one  drives  or  walks  in  this  part  of  the  island.  Tasmania 
possesses  vast  mineral  wealth.  The  richest  and  most 
profitable  tin  mine  in  the  world  is  that  of  Mount  Bischoff, 
situated  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Launceston. 
The  Beaconsfield  gold  mine  is  only  thirty  miles  from  the 
city,  besides  several  others  not  much  further  away,  which 
are  rich  in  their  yield  of  the  precious  metal. 

The  journey  from  here  to  Hobart,  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles,  takes  us  through  the  length  of 
the  island  in  a  southeasterly  direction.  We  pass  through 
lovely  glades,  over  broad  plains,  across  rushing  streams, 
and  around  the  base  of  abrupt  mountains.  Hobart  was  so 
named  in  1804,  in  honor  of  Lord  Hobart,  who  was  then 
Secretary  of  State  for  the  Colonies.  It  is  surrounded  by 
hills  and  mountains  except  where  the  river  Derwent  opens 
into  lake  form,  making  a  deep,  well-sheltered  harbor, 
whence  it  leads  the  way  into  the  Southern  Ocean.  Among 
the  lofty  hills  in  this  vicinity  Mount  Wellington  towers  forty- 
two  hundred  feet  above  the  others,  so  close  to  the  city  as 


78  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

to  appear  to  be  within  rifle  range.  The  shape  of  the  town 
is  square,  and  it  is  built  upon  a  succession  of  hills,  very 
much  like  Sydney.  It  has  broad  streets  intersecting  each 
other  at  right  angles,  lined  with  handsome,  well-stocked 
stores  and  dwelling-houses,  serving  an  active  and  enterpris- 
ing population  of  thirty  thousand  and  more.  Of  these 
shops,  two  or  three  spacious  and  elegant  bookstores 
deserve  special  mention,  being  such  as  would  be  cred- 
itable to  any  American  city.  It  must  undoubtedly  be  a 
cultured  community  which  affords  support  to  such  estab- 
lishments. 

Yet  we  cannot  forget  that  Hobart  has  scarcely  outlived 
the  curse  of  the  penal  association  which  encompassed  its 
birth.  Between  thirty  and  forty  years  ago,  the  British 
government  expended  here  five  thousand  dollars  a  day  in 
support  of  jails  and  military  barracks.  The  last  convict 
ship  from  England  discharged  her  cargo  at  Hobart  in  185 1, 
since  which  year  the  system  has  gradually  disappeared. 
The  city  is  supplied  with  all  the  necessary  charitable  and 
educational  institutions,  including  a  public  Ubrary  and 
art  gallery.  The  street  scenes  have  the  usual  local  color, 
embracing  the  typical  miner,  with  his  rude  kit  upon  his 
shoulder,  consisting  of  a  huge  canvas  bag,  a  shovel,  and 
pick.  The  professional  chimney-sweep,  with  blackened 
face  and  hands  begrimed,  —  he  whom  we  lost  sight  of 
in  Boston  years  ago,  —  is  here  seen  pursuing  his  antiquated 
vocation.  Market-men  have  the  same  peculiar  mode  of 
delivering  purchases  to  their  customers  that  we  have  no- 
ticed elsewhere  in  this  country,  and  are  seen  galloping 
about  upon  wiry  little  horses,  bearing  upon  their  arms 
large  well-filled  baskets.  Women,  with  small  handcarts 
full  of  slaughtered  rabbits,   cry    them  for  sale  at  twelve 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  79 

cents  a  pair,  besides  which  they  receive  a  bounty  for  kilUng 
these  pests. 

The  river  Derwent,  which  rises  far  inland  where  the 
beautiful  lakes  St.  Clair  and  Sorell  are  embosomed,  broad- 
ens into  a  lake  six  miles  wide  where  it  forms  the  harbor  of 
Hobart,  and  is  famous  for  the  regattas  that  are  rowed  upon 
its  surface.  Here,  the  largest  craft  that  navigates  these 
seas  can  lie  close  to  the  wharf  and  the  warehouses.  A  visit 
to  the  Lake  District  of  Tasmania  affords  many  delightful 
views,  where  those  inland  waters  just  referred  to  lie  in 
their  lonely  beauty,  now  overhung  by  towering  cliffs,  like 
those  bordering  a  Norwegian  arm  of  the  sea,  and  now 
edged  by  pebbly  beaches  where  choice  agates  and  carne- 
lians  abound. 

The  charming  cloud-effects  which  hang  over  and  about 
the  lofty  hills  which  environ  the  capital  of  Tasmania,  recall 
vividly  those  of  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  near  Chillon, 
while  the  Derwent  itself,  reflecting  the  hills  upon  its  blue 
and  placid  surface,  forms  another  pleasing  resemblance  to 
Lake  Leman.  In  ascending  Mount  Wellington,  the  lion 
of  Tasmanian  scenery,  when  we  find  ourselves  at  an  ele- 
vation of  about  two  thousand  feet,  it  is  discovered  that  we 
have  reached  the  Old  World  ocean-floor.  Here,  there  are 
plenty  of  remains  of  the  former  denizens  of  the  ocean,  — 
fossils,  telling  the  strange  and  interesting  story  of  terrestrial 
changes  that  have  taken  place  in  the  thousands  upon  thou- 
sands of  years  that  are  passed. 

About  twenty  miles  from  Hobart  we  find  a  forest  of  the 
remarkable  gum-trees  of  which  we  have  all  read,  —  trees 
which  exceed  in  height  and  circumference  the  mammoth 
growths  of  our  own  Yosemite  Valley,  and  fully  equal  those 
of  Victoria.     The  immediate  locality  which  contains  them 


8o  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVFL;    OR, 

is  known  as  the  Huon  District.  A  walk  among  these 
forest  giants  fills  one  with  wonde-r  and  delight ;  their  lofty 
tops  seem  almost  lost  in  the  sky  to  which  they  aspire.  No 
church  steeple,  no  cathedral  pinnacle  reared  by  the  hand 
of  man,  but  only  mountain  peaks  reach  so  far  skyward. 

Tasmania  is  largely  occupied  for  sheep-runs  and  wool- 
raising.  The  eastern  side  of  the  island  is  studded  with 
lovely  homesteads  carefully  fenced,  the  grounds  about  the 
residences  being  covered  with  fruit  trees  and  flower  plats. 
There  does  not  appear  to  be  any  waste  land,  all  is  carefully 
improved  in  the  peopled  districts.  The  roads  are  often 
lined  with  thrifty  hedges,  symmetrically  trimmed,  fre- 
quently consisting  of  the  brilliant,  constant  flowering, 
fragrant  yellow  gorse,  and  sometimes  of  the  stocky  species 
of  scarlet  geranium.  This  sort  is  not  fragrant  but  becomes 
very  thick  by  being  cut  partly  down  annually,  until  it 
makes  an  almost  impenetrable  hedge.  Prosperity  and  good 
taste  are  everywhere  noticeable,  amid  a  succession  of 
landscapes  like  those  of  the  populous  New  England  States. 


yOUKNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  8 1 


CHAPTER   VL 

WE  embark  at  Hobart  by  steamship,  for  Southern 
New  Zealand.  After  following  the  course  of  the 
river  Derwent  for  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  its  mouth  is 
reached,  where  the  ship's  course  is  a  little  south  of  east, 
the  dull  green  of  the  waters  on  soundings  rapidly  changing 
to  the  navy  blue  of  the  ocean.  The  prevailing  winds  here 
are  from  the  west,  which  with  the  Australian  current  and 
the  Antarctic  drift,  are  in  our  favor,  so  the  ship  speeds 
cheerily  on  her  way. 

The  tedium  of  the  voyage  is  beguiled  by  watching 
the  graceful  movements  of  the  wandering  albatross,  the 
fateful  bird  of  nautical  romance,  which  is  sure  to  be  seen 
in  considerable  numbers  below  the  thirtieth  parallel  of 
south  latitude.  The  peculiarities  of  this  sea-bird's  flight 
are  a  constant  marvel,  for  it  scarcely  ever  plies  its  wings, 
but  literally  sails  upon  the  wind  in  any  desired  course. 
We  wonder  what  secret  power  can  so  propel  him  for  hun- 
dreds of  rods  with  an  upward  trend  at  the  close.  If  for  a 
single  moment  he  lights  upon  the  water  to  seize  some  ob- 
ject of  food,  there  is  a  trifling  exertion  evinced  in  rising 
again,  until  he  is  a  few  feet  above  the  waves,  when  once 
more  he  sails  with  or  against  the  wind,  upon  outspread,  im- 
movable wings.  With  no  apparent  inclination  or  occasion 
for  pugnacity,  the  albatross  is  yet  armed  with  a  tremendous 
beak,  certainly  the  most  terrible  of  its  kind  possessed  by 
any  of  the  feathered  tribe.     It  is  from  six  to  eight  inches 


82  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

long,  and  ends  in  a  sharp-pointed  hook  extremely  strong 
and  hard.  It  has  been  humorously  said  that  if  he  pleased, 
the  albatross  might  breakfast  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
and  dine  in  New  York,  so  wonderfully  swift  is  he  in  flight 
and  so  powerful  on  the  wing. 

At  night  the  phosphorescence  of  these  lonely  waters  lying- 
just  north  of  the  Antarctic  Circle,  between  Tasmania  and 
New  Zealand,  is  indeed  marvellous.  Liquid  fire  is  the 
only  term  which  will  properly  express  their  flame-like  ap- 
pearance. If  a  bucketful  is  drawn  and  deposited  upon 
deck,  while  it  remains  still  it  appears  dark  and  like  any 
other  water,  but  when  agitated  it  emits  scintillations  of 
light  like  the  stars.  A  drop  of  this  water  placed  under  a 
microscope  is  found  to  be  teeming  with  living  and  active 
creatures.  If  we  suspend  a  muslin  bag  for  a  few  moments 
over  the  ship's  side,  with  the  mouth  open,  then  draw  it  up 
and  permit  it  to  drain  for  a  few  seconds,  placing  what  re- 
mains in  a  glass  tumbler,  we  shall  find  the  abundance  of 
living  forms  which  it  contains  quite  visible  to  the  naked 
eye.  No  two  of  these  minute  creatures  seem  to  be  of  sim- 
ilar form  ;  the  variety  is  infinite,  and  their  activity  inces- 
sant. Most  of  these  animalcules,  however,  are  so  small 
that  if  it  were  not  for  the  microscope  we  should  never 
know  of  their  existence. 

The  voyage  from  Hobart  to  the  Bluff,  South  New 
Zealand,  usually  consumes  four  days,  and  it  is  often  a  very 
rough  passage.  Sailing-vessels  making  this  trip  carry  a 
quantity  of  crude  oil,  which  in  extreme  cases  they  employ 
to  still  the  boisterous  sea  about  them,  when  ''  God  maketh 
the  deep  to  boil  like  a  pot."  It  should  be  known  that  our 
own  Benjamin  Franklin  first  suggested,  about  a  century 
ago,  the  carrying  of  oil  by  vessels  for  this  purpose.     This 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  83 

shrewd  American  philosopher  was  also  the  first  to  suggest, 
about  the  same  time,  that  ship-builders  should  construct 
the  hulls  of  vessels  in  water-tight  compartments,  thus  af- 
fording sufficient  sustaining  power  to  float  them  when  by 
accident  portions  of  the  hull  became  leaky  or  broken  into. 
After  the  lapse  of  a  century  both  of  these  precautions  have 
been  adopted,  and  are  much  used. 

As  we  sight  the  land,  the  southwest  coast  of  New 
Zealand  is  found  to  be  indented  with  deep  fjords^  almost 
precisely  like  the  coast  of  Norway  from  Bergen  to  Ham- 
merfest ;  and,  singular  to  say,  these  arms  of  the  sea,  like 
those  of  the  far  north,  are  much  deeper  than  the  neighbor- 
ing ocean.  The  Bluff,  also  known  as  Campbelltown,  is 
situated  in  the  very  track  of  storms,  being  open  to  the 
entire  sweep  of  the  Antarctic  Ocean.  Its  shelving  side, 
sloping  towards  the  harbor,  forms  a  sort  of  lee,  or  shel- 
tered position,  which  is  occupied  by  a  pretty  little  fishing- 
village  of  some  sixty  houses,  and  contains  a  population 
of  less  than  a  thousand.  These  people  gain  their  living 
mostly  from  the  neighboring  sea,  and  from  such  labor  as 
is  consequent  upon  the  occasional  arrival  of  a  steamship 
bound  northward.  We  may  here  take  refreshment  at  the 
Golden  Age  Inn,  which  is  the  most  southerly  house  of 
public  entertainment  on  the  globe. 

New  Zealand  did  not  become  a  recognized  British  col- 
ony until  the  year  1840.  For  three-quarters  of  a  century 
after  Cook's  first  visit,  the  native  tribes  remained  in  free 
possession  of  the  country.  It  is  true  that  England  was 
mistress  of  these  islands  by  right  of  discovery,  but  she 
made  no  formal  assumption  of  political  domain  until  the 
period  already  named,  when  it  was  formed  into  a  colony 
subordinate  to  the  government  of  New  South  Wales.     As 

1  Pronounced  feords. 


84  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

early  as  1815,  white  men  of  venturous  disposition  began  to 
settle  in  small  numbers  among  the  natives ;  but  often 
their  fate  was  to  be  roasted  and  eaten  by  cannibals.  Be- 
fore 1820,  missionaries,  no  doubt  influenced  by  truly  Chris- 
tian motives,  came  hither  and  devoted  their  lives  to  this 
people,  —  in  more  senses  than  one,  as  it  is  well  known 
that  they  not  infrequently  met  with  a  fate  similar  to  that 
of  other  settlers. 

New  Zealand  lies  as  far  south  of  the  equator  as  Italy 
does  north  of  it,  and  is  divided  into  the  North  and  South 
Islands  by  Cook's  Strait.  The  South  Island  is  also  known 
as  the  Middle  Island,  to  distinguish  it  more  fully  from 
Stewart  Island,  which  belongs  to  the  group,  and  which  lies 
to  the  south  of  it.  This  last-named  island  is  separated 
from  Middle  Island  by  Foveaux  Strait  some  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles  across  the  water  from  the  Bluff.  It  is  about 
fifty  miles  long  by  thirty  broad,  and  has  a  mountain  range 
running  through  it,  the  loftiest  peak  of  which  is  a  trifle 
over  three  thousand  feet  high.  There  are  some  fishing 
hamlets  here,  but  there  are  very  few  inhabitants.  All 
these  islands  are  popularly  believed  to  have  once  formed 
part  of  a  great  continent,  which  is  now  sunk  in  the  sea. 

Unlike  Australia,  New  Zealand  is  rarely  visited  by 
drought.  The  whole  eastern  coast  abounds  in  good  har- 
bors, while  the  rivers  and  streams  are  ever  flowing  and  in- 
numerable. Though  it  is  a  mountainous  country,  it  differs 
from  Switzerland  in  that  it  has  no  lack  of  extensive  plains, 
which  seem  to  have  been  left  by  nature  ready  to  the  hand 
of  the  farmer,  requiring  scarcely  ordinary  cultivation  to 
insure  large  and  profitable  crops  of  grains.  This  diversity 
of  surface,  as  well  as  the  fact  that  these  islands  extend 
over  thirteen  degrees  of  latitude,  give  the  country  a  varied 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  85 

climate,  but  it  is  a  remarkably  temperate  one,  its  salubrity 
far  surpassing  that  of  England  or  any  part  of  the  United 
States.  While  snow  is  never  seen  in  the  North  Island  ex- 
cept upon  the  highest  mountains,  the  plains  of  the  South 
Island,  as  far  south  as  Otago,  are  sometimes  sprinkled  with 
it,  but  only  to  disappear  almost  immediately.  The  rivers 
are  generally  destitute  of  fish,  and  the  forests  of  game. 
It  is  no  sportsman's  country  ;  but  vegetation  runs  riot, 
the  soil  being  remarkably  fertile,  clothing  the  wild  lands 
with  perpetual  verdure  and  vigorous  freshness. 

The  area  of  the  islands  known  as  New  Zealand  is  about 
one  hundred  thousand  square  miles,  being  a  few  more  than 
are  contained  in  England,  Wales,  and  Ireland  combined. 
The  entire  coast  line  is  four  thousand  miles  in  length. 
Out  of  the  seventy  million  acres  of  land,  forty  million  are 
deemed  worthy  of  cultivation.  The  soil  being  light  and 
easily  worked  favors  the  agriculturist,  and  New  Zealand  is 
free  from  all  noxious  animals  and  venomous  reptiles.  It 
is  stated  that  no  animal  larger  than  a  rat  was  found  here 
by  the  discoverers.  The  remote  situation  of  the  country, 
surrounded  by  the  greatest  extent  of  ocean  on  the  globe, 
has  kept  it  in  a  measure  unknown  to  the  rest  of  the  world, 
even  in  these  days  of  rapid  communication  with  all  parts 
of  the  earth.  Wellington,  the  capital,  is  about  fifteen 
thousand  miles  more  or  less,  from  the  Colonial  Ofiice  in 
London  ;  in  other  words,  New  Zealand  forms  the  nearest 
land  to  the  actual  antipodes  of  England.  The  precious 
metals  are  distributed  over  the  land  in  gold-bearing  quartz 
reefs,  rich  alluvial  diggings,  and  in  the  sands  of  its  many 
rivers.  Mines  of  tin  and  iron  as  well  as  other  minerals  are 
supplemented  by  an  abundant  supply  of  the  most  impor- 
tant of  them  all ;  namely,  coal. 


86  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

There  is  little  of  interest  to  detain  us  at  the  Bluff,  so 
we  continue  on  by  steamer  to  Dunedin,  the  metropolis  of 
Otago  district,  and  indeed,  the  principal  city  of  New 
Zealand,  if  we  make  the  number  and  wealth  of  its  popula- 
tion the  criterion  of  comparison.  The  cities  of  both  Aus- 
tralia and  New  Zealand,  but  especially  those  of  the  latter 
country,  have  a  habit  of  locating  themselves  among  and 
upon  a  collection  of  hills,  up  the  sides  of  which  the  houses 
creep  in  a  very  picturesque  manner.  Dunedin  is  no  ex- 
ception to  this  rule,  rising  rather  abruptly  from  the  plain, 
which  is  the  location  of  the  wharves  and  business  houses, 
to  the  summit  of  the  surrounding  hills.  A  portion  of  the 
plain  near  the  shore,  upon  which  broad  streets  and  sub- 
stantial blocks  of  buildings  now  stand,  consists  of  made 
land,  redeemed  at  great  expense  from  the  shallow  water 
front  of  the  town. 

The  first  settlement  here  was  made  so  late  as  1848,  by  a 
colony  nearly  every  member  of  which  came  from  Scotland, 
and  from  this  source  the  city  has  continued  ever  since  to 
draw  large  numbers  annually.  The  Scottish  brogue  salutes 
the  ear  everywhere ;  the  Scottish  physiognomy  is  always 
prominent  to  the  eye  ;  and  indeed,  there  are  several  prevail- 
ing indications  which  cause  one  to  half  believe  himself  in 
Aberdeen,  Glasgow,  or  Edinburgh.  This  is  by  no  means 
unpleasant.  There  is  a  solid,  reliable  appearance  to  every- 
thing. People  are  rosy-cheeked,  hearty,  and  good  to  look 
at.  The  wand  of  the  enchanter,  to  speak  figuratively, 
touched  the  place  in  1861,  from  which  date  it  took  a  fresh 
start  upon  the  road  of  prosperity.  It  was  caused  by  gold 
being  discovered  in  large  quantities  near  at  hand,  and  from 
that  date  the  city  of  Dunedin  has  grown  in  population  and 
wealth  with  marvellous  rapidity.     Large  substantial  stone 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  8/ 

edifices  have  sprung  up  on  all  the  main  thoroughfares  de- 
voted to  business  purposes,  banks,  public  offices,  churches, 
schools,  storehouses,  etc.,  giving  an  unmistakable  aspect  of 
prosperity.  The  street-cars  are  mostly  operated  on  the 
cable  principle.  Horses  could  not  draw  heavily-laden  cars 
up  some  of  the  steep  streets.  The  sensation  when  being 
conveyed  on  one  of  these  cars  up  or  down  a  steep  grade  of 
the  city,  is  the  same  as  when  ascending  or  descending 
some  Swiss  mountains,  by  means  of  the  same  unseen 
power.  The  car  is  promptly  stopped  anywhere,  to  land  or 
to  take  on  a  passenger,  no  matter  how  steep  the  grade,  by 
the  simple  movement  of  a  lever,  and  is  easily  started  again. 
The  powerful  stationary  engine  situated  a  mile  away, 
by  means  of  the  chain  beneath  the  road-bed  quietly  winds 
the  car  up  the  declivity  however  heavily  it  may  be  laden, 
without  the  least  slacking  of  speed. 

The  singularly  formed  hills  about  Dunedin  are  not  mere 
barren  rocks,  —  they  have  their  suggestiveness,  speaking 
of  volcanic  eruptions,  of  wild  upheavals,  dating  back  for 
thousands  of  years.  Scientists  tell  us  that  these  islands 
are  of  the  earliest  rock  formations.  The  ground  upon 
which  this  city  stands,  like  that  of  Auckland  further  north, 
is  composed  of  the  fiery  outflow  of  volcanic  matter. 

Dunedin  has  all  the  usual  educational  and  philanthropic 
institutions  which  a  community  of  fifty  thousand  intelligent 
people  demand  in  our  day.  It  is  especially  well  supplied 
with  primary  and  other  schools.  Throughout  New  Zealand 
there  are  over  eight  hundred  registered  public  schools  of 
the  various  grades.  It  is  a  source  of  gratification  to  realize 
that  educational  interests  are  nowhere  neglected  in  these 
far-away  colonies,  where  the  eager  pursuit  of  gold  has  been 
so  prominent  an  element  in  inducing  immigration.     New 


88  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

Zealand  is  nearly  as  rich  in  gold  deposits  as  is  Australia, 
and  the  precious  metal  is  obtained  under  nearly  the  same 
conditions.  Much  gold  has  been  found  here  in  what  are 
called  pockets,  under  boulders  and  large  stones  which  lie 
on  the  sandy  beach  of  the  west  coast.  This  is  popularly 
believed  to  have  been  washed  up  from  the  sea  in  heavy 
weather,  but  undoubtedly  it  was  first  washed  down  from 
the  mountains  and  deposited  along  the  shore.  Official  re- 
turns show  that  New  Zealand  has  produced  over  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  million  dollars  in  gold  since  its  discovery  in 
these  islands. 

When  Captain  Cook  first  landed  here,  he  fully  under- 
stood the  cannibal  habits  of  the  native  race,  and  sought 
for  some  practical  means  of  discouraging  and  abolishing 
such  inhuman  practices.  Upon  his  second  visit,  therefore, 
he  introduced  swine  and  some  other  domestic  animals, 
such  as  goats  and  horned  cattle,  in  the  vain  hope  that  they 
would  ultimately  supply  sufficient  animal  food  for  the  sav- 
ages, and  divert  them  from  such  wholesale  roasting  and 
eating  of  each  other.  The  goats  and  some  other  animals 
were  soon  slaughtered  and  consumed,  but  the  swine  to  a 
certain  extent  answered  the  purpose  for  which  he  designed 
them  ;  that  is  to  say,  they  ran  wild,  multiplied  remarkably, 
and  were  hunted  and  eaten  by  the  natives ;  but  cannibal- 
ism was  by  no  means  abolished,  or  even  appreciably 
checked.  Wild  hogs,  which  have  sprung  from  the  origi- 
nal animals  introduced  so  many  years  ago,  are  still  quite 
abundant  in  the  North  Island. 

About  two  hundred  miles  northward  from  Dunedin  is 
the  city  of  Christchurch,  settled  first  in  1850,  and  the  chief 
seat  of  the  Church  of  England  in  New  Zealand,  having  a 
noble  cathedral.       Littleton  is  the  port  of  Christchurch, 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  89 

situated  eio-ht  miles  below  the  citv,  and  connected  with  it 
by  both  river  and  railway.  This  metropolis  contains  about 
thirty-live  thousand  people.  In  its  museum  there  is  a 
most  interesting  and  perfect  skeleton  of  that  great  bird, 
the  Moa^  —  indigenous  in  this  country  and  believed  to  have 
been  extinct  about  two  thousand  years,  probably  disappear- 
ing before  any  human  beings  came  to  these  islands.  The 
Maori  Indians  (pronounced  Mow're),  the  native  race  of 
New  Zealand,  can  be  traced  back  but  six  or  seven  hun- 
dred years,  and  only  very  imperfectly  during  that  period. 
They  are  believed  to  have  come  from  the  islands 
lying  in  the  North  Pacific,  presumably  from  the  Sand- 
wich or  Hawaiian  group.  Even  the  traditions  of  these 
natives  fail  to  give  us  any  account  of  this  gigantic  bird 
while  it  was  living,  but  its  bones  are  found  in  various 
sections  of  the  country,  principally  in  caves.  What  is 
left  of  the  Moa  to-day  is  quite  sufficient  to  form  the 
greatest  ornithological  wonder  in  the  world.  The  head 
of  this  reconstructed  skeleton  in  the  museum  of  Christ- 
church  stands  sixteen  feet  from  the  ground,  and  its 
various  proportions  are  all  of  a  character  to  harmonize  with 
its  remarkable  height.  This  skeleton  shows  the  marvellous 
bird  to  have  been,  when  standing  upright,  five  feet  taller 
than  the  average  full-grown  giraffe.  It  belonged  to  the 
giants  who  dwelt  upon  the  earth  perhaps  twenty  thousand 
years  ago,  in  the  period  of  the  mammoth  and  the  dodo. 

A  couple  of  hundred  miles  further  north  will  bring  us  to 
Wellington,  the  national  capital.  After  a  narrow  entrance 
is  passed,  the  harbor  opens  into  a  magnificent  sheet  of 
water,  in  which  the  largest  ships  may  ride  in  safety  and 
discharge  their  cargoes  at  wharves  built  close  to  the  busy 
centre  of  the  town.    Here,  as  in  Dunedin,  a  portion  of  land 


90  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

has  been  reclaimed  from  the  sea  for  business  purposes. 
The  city  has  its  asylums,  a  college,  hospital,  botanical  gar- 
den, Roman  Catholic  cathedral,  and  a  colonial  museum,  — 
the  latter  being  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  in  the  ex- 
cellence and  completeness  of  its  several  departments.  A 
structure  which  is  exhibited  here  and  called  the  Maori 
House,  built  by  the  natives  as  a  specimen  of  their  domestic 
architecture,  is  particularly  interesting,  being  also  full  of 
aboriginal  curiosities,  such  as  domestic  utensils,  weapons, 
and  carvings.  The  house  is  of  ordinary  village  size,  and  is  or- 
namented on  many  of  its  posts  by  carved  figures,  represent- 
ing native  heroes  and  gods.  The  province  of  Wellington 
stretches  northward  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  and  contains 
seven  million  acres  of  land,  diversified  by  two  mountain 
ranges.  The  population  of  the  capital  is  a  little  over  twenty 
thousand.  The  town  impresses  one  as  being  a  community 
of  shops,  and  it  is  a  subject  of  surprise  how  they  can  all 
obtain  a  living. 

A  considerable  number  of  natives,  mostly  in  European 
costume,  are  seen  in  the  streets  of  Wellington,  loitering 
about  the  corners  and  gazing  curiously  into  shop  windows, 
the  girls  and  women  having  heavy  shocks  of  unkempt  hair 
shading  their  great  black  eyes,  high  cheek-bones,  and  dis- 
fio-ured  mouths  and  chins,  which  last  are  tattooed  in  blue 
dye  of  some  sort.  The  males  tattoo  the  whole  face  elabo- 
rately, but  the  women  disfigure  themselves  thus  only  about 
the  mouth  and  chin.  It  is  most  amusing  to  see  them  meet 
one  another  and  rub  noses,  which  is  the  Maori  mode  of 
salutation.  This  race  has  some  very  peculiar  habits  :  they 
never  eat  salt ;  they  have  no  fixed  industry,  and  no  idea  of 
time  or  its  divisions  into  hours  and  months  ;  they  are,  like 
our  North  American  Indians,  constitutionally  lazy,  are  in- 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  9 1 

tensely  selfish,  and  seem  to  care  nothing  for  their  dead  ; 
they  have  a  quick  sense  of  insult,  but  cannot  as  a  rule  be 
called  pugnacious  ;  they  excite  themselves  to  fight  by  in- 
dulging in  strange  war-dances  and  by  singing  songs  full  of 
braggadocio ;  and,  after  having  been  thus  wrought  up  to  a 
state  of  frenzy,  they  are  perfectly  reckless  as  to  personal 
hazard.  The  Maori  is  not,  however,  a  treacherous  enemy ; 
he  gives  honorable  notice  of  his  hostile  intent,  warring  only 
in  an  open  manner,  thus  exhibiting  a  degree  of  chivalry 
unknown  to  our  American  Indians.  Money  with  the  Maori 
is  considered  only  as  representing  so  much  rum  and  to- 
bacco. Alcohol  is  his  criterion  of  value ;  bread  and  meat 
are  quite  secondary. 

The  name  "Maori"  is  that  which  these  aborigines  gave 
themselves.  If  there  were  any  human  beings  upon  these 
islands  when  the  Maoris  first  arrived,  they  doubtless  fell  a 
prey  to  the  cannibalistic  habits  of  the  newcomers,  whose 
insatiable  appetite  for  human  flesh  was  irrepressible.  When 
discovered  by  Cook,  they  were  the  lowest  of  savage  races ; 
they  knew  scarcely  anything  of  the  mechanic  arts,  their 
skill  being  limited  to  the  scooping  out  of  a  boat  from  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  and  the  fabrication  of  fishing-nets  from 
the  coarse  fibre  of  the  wild  flax.  They  also  made  spears, 
shields,  and  clubs.  They  had  no  beasts  of  burden,  and 
so  their  women  were  made  to  supply  the  place.  Their 
agriculture  was  confined  to  the  raising  of  sweet  potatoes 
and  the  taro  root,  while  their  more  substantial  food  con- 
sisted of  fish,  rats,  wild  fowl,  and  human  flesh.  Captain 
Cook  estimated,  when  he  first  visited  them,  that  the 
Maoris  had  passed  the  period  of  their  best  days.  He 
thought  that  in  the  century  previous  to  his  coming 
hither  they  had  eaten  about  one-fourth  of  their  number. 


92  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

The  race  is  now  estimated  at  only  thirtv-six  or  thirty- 
eight  thousand,  though  it  is  certain  that  it  embraced  a 
hundred  thousand  about  a  century  ago.  The  decrease  in 
ten  years  is  apparent  to  observant  persons,  a  fact  not  clearly 
accounted  for  by  any  excess  of  living  on  their  part,  though 
their  daily  habits  are  not  very  commendable,  especially  as 
to  drink.  They  are  all  most  inveterate  smokers,  —  men, 
women,  and  children  ;  you  can  give  a  Maori  maiden  noth- 
ing more  acceptable  to  her  taste  and  appreciation  than  a 
pipe  and  a  plug  of  smoking-tobacco.  As  a  people,  they 
have  manifestly  filled  the  purpose  for  which  Providence 
placed  them  upon  these  islands  of  the  South  Sea  ;  and 
now,  like  the  Moa,  they  must  pass  off  the  scene  and  give 
way  to  another  race.  So  it  seems  to  be  with  the  Red  Man 
of  America,  and  so  it  was  with  the  now  totally  extinct  na- 
tives of  Tasmania. 

When  this  capital  of  Wellington  was  first  settled,  the 
newcomers  could  build  their  houses  only  of  wood,  the  fre- 
quency of  earthquakes  warning  them  against  raising  edi- 
fices of  heavy  material  or  making  their  dwellings  over  one 
or  two  stories  in  height.  But  earthquakes,  though  now 
occasionally  experienced,  are  by  no  means  so  frequent  as 
formerly.  Tremulousness  of  the  earth  and  rumblings  as  of 
distant  thunder  are  heard  now  and  again,  in  the  hills  that 
stretch  inland  towards  the  mountains,  which  is  quite  suffi- 
cient to  keep  the  fact  in  mind  that  this  is  a  volcanic  region. 
Earthquake  shocks  are  frequent  all  over  the  islands,  and  it 
is  believed  that  New  Zealand  was  rent  midway,  where 
Cook's  Strait  divides  the  North  from  the  South  Island,  by 
volcanic  explosion.  There  is  known  to  be  an  extinct  vol- 
cano at  the  bottom  of  the  strait,  in  front  of  the  entrance  to 
the  harbor  of  Wellington,  over  which  the  water  is  never 
absolutely  calm  and  where  it  sometimes  boils  like  a  caldron. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  93 


CHAPTER   VII. 

AUCKLAND,  the  northern  metropohs  of  New  Zealand, 
was  formerly  the  capital  of  the  country  until  Wel- 
lington was  selected  for  the  headquarters  of  the  govern- 
ment, as  being  the  more  central  and  accessible  from  the 
several  islands.  So  beautiful  and  picturesque  are  the  bay 
and  harbor  that  one  is  not  surprised  to  hear  its  citizens 
call  it  the  Naples  of  New  Zealand.  Before  the  European 
settlers  came  here  this  was  the  locality  where  the  most  sav- 
age wars  were  carried  on  by  the  natives,  and  where  the  most 
warlike  tribes  lived  in  fortified  villages.  Though  the  country 
has  virtually  no  ancient  history  that  is  known  to  us,  it  has 
a  recognized  past  extending  back  for  some  centuries. 
When  the  missionaries  first  came  here  about  the  year 
1 8 14,  the  main  subsistence  of  the  natives  who  lived  around 
what  is  now  Auckland  harbor,  was  human  flesh.  The 
first  white  immigrants,  as  well  as  the  seamen  of  chance 
vessels  driven  upon  the  coast,  were  invariably  killed  and 
eaten  by  the  Maoris.  Not  only  did  cannibalismx  prevail 
here,  but  it  was  common  in  Brazil,  in  the  West  Indies,  in 
the  other  Pacific  Islands,  along  the  coast  of  North  America, 
and  among  the  Indians  of  Chili,  who  ate  the  early  naviga- 
tors who  landed  upon  their  shores. 

The  isthmus  upon  which  the  city  of  Auckland  is  built 
is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  remarkable  volcanic  dis- 
tricts in  the  world,  though  the  agency  of  subterranean 
fires  is  visible  enough  to  the  traveller  all  over  the  country. 


94  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

Mount  Tongariro,  six  thousand  feet  high,  is  even  now  in 
activity,  with  occasional  fiery  outbursts.  The  earthquakes 
which  occur  in  both  the  North  and  the  South  Islands,  cause 
alternate  depressions  and  elevations.  That  of  1855  raised 
the  coast  line  four  feet  for  many  miles  in  length.  As  in 
the  peninsula  of  Scandinavia,  we  here  find  a  grand  longi- 
tudinal mountain  range  from  the  extreme  of  the  South 
Island  through  the  Auckland  district  to  the  far  north, 
forming,  as  it  were,  a  backbone  to  the  country. 

Mount  Eden  is  the  nearest  elevation  to  the  city,  and  is 
seven  or  eight  hundred  feet  in  height.  On  this  hill  there 
are  abundant  evidences  still  left  of  the  native  fortifications, 
but  of  the  large  Maori  population  that  once  covered  the 
peninsula  and  lived  in  these  pahs,  or  fortified  villages,  not 
a  soul  remains.  The  harbor  is  one  of  the  best  in  Australasia, 
having  ample  depth  and  good  wharf  facilities,  besides  being 
quite  sheltered.  Its  shorter  distance  from  the  ports  of 
America  gives  it  an  advantage  over  all  others  in  this 
region.  It  is  reached  from  London,  across  the  American 
continent,  in  thirty-seven  days,  while  to  reach  Sydney 
requires  four  days  more  of  steam  navigation  across  a 
boisterous  sea. 

Auckland  occupies  a  series  of  hills  divided  by  valleys 
trending  in  the  direction  of  the  sea  or  harbor.  The  slopes 
and  hill-tops  are  dotted  by  villas,  each  of  which  is  sur- 
rounded by  flowers  and  ornamental  trees.  The  business 
part  of  the  town  is  not  particularly  attractive,  though 
Queen  Street,  the  principal  thoroughfare,  contains  some 
fine  stores  and  brick  edifices,  as  well  as  public  buildings  of 
stone.  Both  the  level  and  the  hilly  streets  are  traversed 
by  street  railways,  upon  which  horse-power  only  is  used. 
The  population,  including  the  immediate  environs,  is  about 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  95 

sixty-five  thousand.  The  educational  interests  of  the  city 
are  well  provided  for  by  primary  schools,  as  well  as  by 
means  for  secondary  education  in  a  college  for  boys,  and 
a  high  school  for  girls,  both  taxed  to  their  full  capacity. 

The  Ponsonby  suburb  and  the  village  of  Whou  are 
composed  of  pleasant  residences  tastefully  ornamented. 
Parnell  forms  another  suburb,  rendered  attractive  by  hedge- 
rows, drooping  willows,  and  prettily  arranged  gardens. 
From  this  point  one  gets  a  fine  view  of  the  outspread  bay 
lying  below,  full  of  various  busy  maritime  craft.  Steam 
ferry-boats  are  constantly  gliding  across  the  harbor,  little 
white-winged  cutters  bend  gracefully  to  the  breeze,  the 
tall  masts  of  sailing-vessels  line  the  piers,  and  tiny  row- 
boats  glance  hither  and  thither.  The  lofty  marine-signal 
hill  looms  up  across  the  harbor,  in  its  verdant  garb,  while 
volcanic  cones,  a  little  way  inland  on  either  shore,  form  an 
irregular  background.  Far  away  and  beyond  all  is  seen 
the  swelling  bosom  of  the  great  Southern  Ocean. 

This  metropolis  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  rich  timber- 
lands,  and  also  of  an  abundant  coal  deposit.  Should  the 
Panama  Canal  be  completed,  Auckland  would  be  the  first 
port  of  call  and  the  last  of  departure  between  Europe  and 
the  colonies  of  the  South  Pacific. 

The  kauri-tree  —  the  pine  of  this  country  —  is  not  at  all 
like  our  North  American  pine ;  instead  of  needles,  its  foli- 
age consists  of  leaves  of  sombre  green.  It  produces  a  tim- 
ber which  for  some  purpose  is  unequalled.  It  is  very  slow 
of  growth,  is  remarkably  durable,  easily  worked,  of  fine  grain, 
and  does  not  split  or  warp  by  atmospheric  exposure.  It  is 
said  that  the  kauri-tree  requires  eight  hundred  years  to 
arrive  at  maturity.  To  visit  the  forest  where  it  is  found 
in  the  Auckland  district,  one  takes  cars  from  the  city  to 


96  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL,     OR, 

Helensville,  a  distance  of  about  forty  miles,  where  the 
Kaipara  River  is  reached,  upon  whicli  small  steamers  ply, 
taking  us  directly  to  the  desired  spot.  Here,  the  busy 
saw-mills  which  are  gradually  consuming  these  valuable 
trees  are  so  situated  that  vessels  of  two  thousand  tons  can 
load  at  their  yards  and  with  their  cargo  pass  directly  out  to 
sea.  It  is  singular  that  while  this  district  is  the  only  place 
in  New  Zealand  where  the  kauri-trees  are  found,  nearly 
,  every  other  species  of  tree  native  to  the  country  is  also 
found  here,  among  them  the  rimu,  the  matai,  the  white 
pine,  the  tooth-leaved  beech,  and  the  totara,  all  in  close 
proximity  to  the  kauri.  The  commercial  prosperity  of 
Auckland  is  largely  due  to  the  harvest  reaped  from  these 
forests.  The  kauri-tree  grows  to  an  average  height  of  a 
hundred  feet,  with  a  diameter  of  fifteen  feet.  It  is  a  clan- 
nish tree,  so  to  speak ;  and  when  found  near  to  those  of 
other  species  it  groups  itself  in  clumps  apart  from  them. 
One  often  sees,  however,  forests  where  the  kauri  reigns 
supreme,  quite  unmixed  with  other  trees. 

The  kauri-gum  forms  a  large  figure  in  the  list  of  exports 
from  Auckland,  and  the  digging  and  preparing  of  it  for 
shipment  gives  employment  to  many  persons.  The  natives 
have  a  theory  that  the  gum  descends  from  the  trunks  of 
the  growing  trees,  and  through  the  roots  becomes  deposited 
in  the  ground.  But  this  is  unreasonable  ;  the  gum  is  a 
partially  fossilized  production,  showing  that  it  has  gone 
through  a  process  which  only  a  long  period  of  years  could 
have  effected.  It  is  usually  found  at  a  depth  of  five  or  six 
feet  from  the  surface.  It  is  undoubtedly  a  fact  that  this 
northerly  part  of  New  Zealand  was  once  covered  by  im- 
mense forests  of  this  gum-tree,  which  have  matured  and 
been  destroyed  by  fire  and  by  decay,  century  after  century, 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  97 

and  the  deposit,  which  is  now  so  marketable,  is  from  the 
dead  trees,  not  from  the  living.  Experiments  have  been 
tried  which  have  proven  that  the  gum  exuded  by  the  grow- 
ing tree  has  no  commercial  value.  It  is  very  similar  to 
amber,  for  which  article  it  is  often  sold  to  unskilled  pur- 
chasers ;  but  its  principal  use  is  in  the  manufacture  of 
varnish. 

The  immediate  neighborhood  of  Auckland  is  almost  de- 
nuded of  original  trees,  but  ornamental  species  are  being 
planted,  and  flowers  are  plentiful.  The  Maoris  had  distinc- 
tive and  expressive  names  for  every  bird,  tree,  and  flower, 
before  the  white  man  came.  There  is  a  lovely  little  native 
daisy  called  tupapa,  and  a  blue  lily  known  as  rengarenga,  also 
a  green  and  yellow  passion-flower  named  by  the  aborigines 
kowhaia.  A  glutinous,  golden  buttercup  is  known  as  anata, 
nearly  as  abundant  as  its  namesake  in  America.  All  these 
are  wild-flowers,  cultivated  only  by  Nature's  hand.  New 
Zealand  seems  to  be  adapted  for  receiving  into  its  bosom 
the  vegetation  of  any  land,  and  imparting  to  it  renewed 
life  and  added  beauty.  Its  foster-mother  capacity  has  been 
fully  tested,  and  for  years  no  ship  left  England  for  this 
part  of  the  world,  without  bringing  more  or  less  of  a  con- 
tribution in  plants  and  trees,  to  be  propagated  in  the  new 
home  of  the  colonists.  The  consequence  is,  we  find  pines 
and  cypresses,  oaks  and  willows,  elms  and  birches,  besides 
fruit-trees  of  all  sorts,  which  are  grown  in  Europe,  thriving 
here  in  abundance,  in  the  grounds  surrounding  the  settlers' 
houses.  The  range  of  temperature  is  here  very  limited. 
Summer  and  winter  are  only  known  as  the  dry  and  the 
rainy  seasons ;  flowers,  vegetables,  grapes,  in  short,  all 
plants,  grow  thriftily  the  whole  year  round  in  the  open  air. 
Tropical  and  hardy  plants  are  equally  at  home  ;  Scottish  firs 


98  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

and  Indian  palms,  oranges,  lemons,  india-rubber  trees,  and 
the  lime  thrive  side  by  side.  As  in  Japan,  so  it  is  here.  One 
can  gather  a  pretty  bouquet  out  of  doors  any  day  in  the  year. 

At  Auckland,  we  are  in  the  vicinity  of  the  famous  Hot 
Lake  District  of  New  Zealand,  the  veritable  wonderland 
of  these  regions,  to  reach  which  we  take  the  cars  for  a  dis- 
tance of  a  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  then  proceed  thirty 
miles  further  by  stage  to  the  native  town  of  Ohinemutu, 
on  Lake  Rotorua.  This  route  carries  us  in  a  southeast 
course  and  leads  into  the  very  heart  of  the  North  Island, 
among  the  aborigines.  The  railway  passes  through  a  level 
country  or  valley,  which,  however,  is  bounded  on  either  side, 
five  or  six  miles  away,  by  lofty  hills,  presenting  a  confusion 
of  irregular  forms.  These  hills  contain  an  abundance  of 
mineral  wealth  in  the  form  of  gold,  silver,  iron,  coal,  and 
manganese.  Many  low-lying  marshy  fields  of  native  flax 
are  seen,  and  the  Waikato  River  is  three  times  crossed  in  its 
winding  course,  as  we  thread  our  way  through  the  valley. 
Large  plantations,  each  containing  several  thousand  young 
pine-trees  of  the  American  species,  are  seen,  covering  gen- 
tle slopes,  and  many  broad  acres  of  level  land,  where  the 
government  is  endeavoring  to  establish  artificial  forests 
throughout  wide  reaches  of  unwooded  country.  These 
trees  grow  more  rapidly  here  even  than  in  their  native  soil. 
Small  Maori  encampments,  composed  of  a  dozen  lodges 
each,  are  scattered  along  the  way,  the  lazy  tattooed  natives 
—  men  and  women  —  fingering  about  the  stations,  with 
blackened  pipes  in  their  mouths,  smoking  the  rankest  sort 
of  tobacco,  while  they  chatter  together  like  Benares 
monkeys. 

The  last  part  of  this  brief  journey,  that  from  Oxford  to 
Ohinemutu^  takes  us  through  one  of  the  grandest  forests 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  99 

in  all  New  Zealand,  extending  eighteen  or  twenty  miles, 
with  scarcely  a  human  habitation  or  sign  of  life,  save  the 
cabin  where  we  change  horses,  and  the  occasional  flutter 
of  a  bird.  In  this  forest,  mingled  with  tall  columnar  trees 
of  various  species,  are  seen  frequent  exam.ples  of  the 
fern-tree  thirty  feet  in  height,  and  of  surpassing  beauty, 
spreading  out  their  plumed  summits  like  Egyptian  palms, 
while  the  stems  have  the  graceful  inclination  of  the  cocoa- 
nut-tree.  The  picturesque  effect  of  the  birches  is  remark- 
able, flanked  by  the  massive  outlines  and  drooping  tassels 
of  the  rimu.  For  miles  of  the  way  on  either  side  of  the 
narrow  road  the  forest  is  impenetrable  even  to  the  eye, 
save  for  the  shortest  distances,  presenting  a  tangled  mass 
of  foliage,  vines,  and  branches  such  as  can  be  matched  only 
by  the  virgin  forests  of  Brazil,  or  the  dangerous  jungles  of 
India.  Ground  ferns  are  observed  in  infinite  variety,  some- 
times of  a  silvery  texture,  sometimes  of  orange-yellow,  but 
oftenest  of  the  various  shades  of  green.  Here,  too,  we 
make  acquaintance  with  the  sweet-scented  manuaka,  the 
fragrant  veronica,  and  the  glossy-leaved  karaka;  this  last 
is  the  pride  of  the  Maoris. 

Specimens  of  the  lofty  rimu-tree  are  seen,  about  whose 
tall  white  stems  a  parasitic  vine  (a  plant  which  obtains  its 
nourishment  from  another  plant  to  which  it  attaches  it- 
self) slowly  and  treacherously  weaves  itself,  clasping  and 
binding  the  upright  body  with  such  man^ellous  power  of 
compression  as  literally  to  strangle  it,  until  ultimately  the 
vine  becomes  a  stout  tree  and  takes  the  place  of  that  it 
has  destroyed.  The  most  noted  and  destructive  of  these 
vegetable  boa-constrictors  is  the  gigantic  rope-like  rata, 
whose  Gordian  knot  nothing  can  untie.  The  tree  once 
clasped  in  its  toils  is  fated,  yielding  up  its  sap  and   life 


lOO  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

without  a  struggle  to  cast  off  its  deadly  enemy.  Many 
trees  are  observed  whose  stems  bear  branches  only,  far 
above  the  surrounding  woods,  laden  with  bunches  of  alien 
foliage,  —  parasites  like  the  mistletoe.  Indeed,  this  forest 
seems  like  vegetation  running  riot,  and  with  its  clumps  of 
dissimilar  foliage  fixed  like  storks'  nests  in  the  tops  of  the 
trees,  recalling  the  same  effect  which  one  sees  on  the 
St.  John's  River  in  Florida. 

Once  fairly  within  the  area  of  the  Hot  Lake  District, 
which  is  the  most  active  volcanic  region  of  the  Antipodes, 
nothing  seems  too  strange  to  be  true ;  geysers,  vapor-holes, 
boiling  springs,  and  dry  stones  burning  hot  beneath  one's 
feet,  surround  us,  as  though  the  surface  of  the  land  covered 
Nature's  chemical  laboratory.  Sulphur,  alkaline,  and  iron 
impregnated  pools  of  inviting  temperature  cause  one  to 
indulge  in  frequent  baths,  and  it  seems  but  natural  that 
the  natives  in  their  half-naked  condition  should  pass  so 
much  time  in  the  water.  Near  the  shore  of  Lake  Rotorua, 
where  it  is  shallow,  a  boiling  spring  forces  its  way  to 
the  surface  of  the  surrounding  cold  water,  telling  of  a 
submerged  fiery  caldron  underlying  the  lake  at  that  par- 
ticular point.  It  is,  however,  no  more  significant  than  the 
scores  of  other  steam-holes  and  spouting  geysers  which 
force  themselves  to  the  surface  of  the  land  all  about  this 
sulphurous  region.  In  short,  the  little  town  of  Ohinemutu 
is  built  on  a  thin  crust,  roofing  over  as  it  were  a  vast  fiery 
furnace,  whose  remarkable  volcanic  eccentricities  form  the 
marvel  of  this  locality.  Here,  the  traveller  eats,  drinks, 
and  sleeps  above  a  series  of  suppressed  volcanoes,  and  is 
apt  to  recall  the  fate  of  Pompeii.  Many  of  these  springs 
and  geysers  are  so  hot  that  a  mere  touch  of  the  water 
will  blister  the  flesh   as   quickly  as   contact   with   red-hot 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  lOI 

iron.  Others  are  of  a  temperature  suitable  for  boiling 
vegetables ;  and  still  others  by  artificial  means  —  that  is, 
the  introduction  of  cold  surface  water  —  are  rendered  of  a 
temperature  suitable  for  bathing  purposes.  One  must  walk 
cautiously  among  these  boiling  mud-pits,  open  springs,  and 
steam-holes,  for  a  misstep  might  prove  fatal.  Dangerous 
caldrons  lie  on  either  side  of  the  path,  within  a  few  inches 
of  where  one  may  be  walking  all  unsuspiciously. 

The  natural  conclusion  as  to  the  cause  of  these  remark- 
able phenomena  would  seem  to  be  that  the  waters  of  the 
lakes,  rivers,  and  springs  descend  by  various  channels  to 
the  fiery  regions  below,  and  are  returned  by  the  force  of 
the  steam  thus  created,  bringing  up  with  them  the  refuse 
which  is  deposited  about  the  surface.  Of  the  hundreds  of 
these  boiling  springs  only  a  score  or  so  have  been  analyzed : 
no  two,  however,  exhibit  the  same  properties.  The  various 
chemical  combinations  seem  to  be  without  limit,  and  bath- 
ing in  them  is  considered  to  be  a  specific  for  some  skin- 
diseases,  as  well  as  for  rheumatic  affections.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  but  that  all  the  medicinal  virtues  possessed 
by  similar  springs  in  Europe  and  America  are  found  in 
these  of  New  Zealand. 

Ohinemiutu  is  the  most  typical  home  of  the  natives,  and 
for  ages  has  formed  the  chief  settlement  of  the  Arawa 
tribe.  Nothing  could  possibly  be  more  grotesque  than  to 
see  groups  of  the  native  women,  from  the  wrinkled  old 
grandams  to  the  girls  of  a  dozen  years,  bathing  at  all  hours 
of  the  day  in  the  warm,  steaming  pools.  It  is  their  daily, 
almost  hourly  resort.  As  a  rule,  a  blanket  forms  their 
only  covering ;  and  if  they  are  cold,  day  or  night,  casting 
this  aside,  they  at  once  resort  to  the  hot  springs  for 
warmth.     Their  chief  occupations  are  literally  bathing  and 


102  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

smoking  tobacco,  the  women  using  the  pipe  even  more 
freely  than  the  men.  Of  regular  occupation  they  have 
none.  A  few  potatoes  are  planted  and  allowed  to  grow 
without  -cultivation,  and  these  with  pork  form  their  chief 
food.  The  httle  cooking  in  which  they  indulge  is  usually 
performed  by  the  boiling  springs,  in  which  they  hang  their 
potatoes  in  small  wicker  baskets  ;  and  for  baking  purposes 
they  use  the  red-hot  stones  that  are  to  be  found  every- 
where in  this  vicinity.  These  broad,  flat  stones  are  the 
identical  ones  on  which  the  natives  not  long  ago  were  ac- 
customed to  roast  their  prisoners  of  war  before  eating 
them. 

A  certain  consistency  is  discovered  in  the  manners  and 
customs  of  this  people  who  live  so  nearly  after  the  style 
and  laws  which  governed  their  ancestors,  and  which  have 
been  carefully  preserved  for  hundreds  of  years.  Supersti- 
tion is  born  in  a  Maori.  He  is  a  professed  Christian  in 
most  cases  and  accepts  the  Bible,  but  he  is  apt  to  give 
to  it  his  own  interpretation.  These  children  of  Nature 
follow  their  ancestral  traditions  modified  by  Christian  in- 
fluences. The  original  religion  of  the  natives,  if  we  may 
call  it  by  that  name,  consists  in  a  dim  belief  in  a  future 
state,  quite  undefined  even  in  their  own  minds.  It  was 
largely  a  sort  of  ancestor  w^orship,  according  to  the  mission- 
aries, with  a  vague  idea  of  some  Being  higher  than  any- 
thing human  or  finite.  The  sorcery  which  was  universally 
practised  among  them  filled  up  a  certain  measure  of  relig- 
ious conviction  and  observance,  nor  is  this  by  any  means 
disused  among  them  to-day.  Many  of  the  tribes  can  read 
and  write,  and  educational  facilities  are  freely  offered  to 
the  rising  generation  by  the  English  government. 

The  Maori  differs  in  many  essential  particulars  from 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 03 

most  savage  races  with  whom  we  are  more  familiar.  He 
does  not,  as  has  been  mentioned,  foster  a  spirit  of  secret 
revenge,  but  when  his  enmity  is  aroused,  it  is  openly  dis- 
played. This  has  been  a  tribal  trait  with  the  Maoris  for 
centuries.  Before  declaring  war  the  Maori  always  gives 
his  enemy  fair  notice  ;  still  for  ages  he  has  been  accus- 
tomed to  go  to  war  upon  imaginary  grievances,  or,  to  put  it 
more  clearly,  his  great  object  was  to  make  prisoners  of 
war,  and  when  made  to  cook  and  eat  them.  The  early 
Maoris,  and  even  so  late  as  sixty  years  ago,  looked  upon 
war  —  what  we  call  civil  war  —  as  being  the  only  legiti- 
mate object  of  life. 

Though  these  natives  have  mostly  become  Christianized, 
as  we  understand  the  term,  still  they  live  more  like  the 
lower  class  of  animals  than  like  human  beings,  seeming  to 
prefer  that  sort  of  life  even  after  half  a  century  of  inter- 
course with  the  whites.  They  now  isolate  themselves  as 
a  body  in  what  is  called  the  King's  Country  of  the  North 
Island,  which  embraces  the  Hot  Lake  District,  w^here  they 
live  under  their  own  laws  and  customs  which  are  held 
inviolate  by  treaty  with  the  English  crown.  Their  decrease 
in  numbers  seems  to  be  as  rapid  in  their  own  district  as  it 
is  where  they  are  brought  into  more  intimate  relations 
with  the  whites.  The  English  authorities  respect  their 
owmership  of  lands,  and  not  an  acre  of  it  is  to  be  had  with- 
out just  payment  for  it. 

No  intelligent  person  can  be  blind  to  the  favorable  posi- 
tion of  New  Zealand  or  to  the  promise  of  its  future  com- 
mercial importance.  Situated,  as  it  were,  in  the  centre  of 
this  Southern  Ocean,  the  future  highway  of  the  w^orld,  it 
is  accessible  from  all  quarters.  On  the  west,  not  very  far 
away,  lie  the  busy  harbors  of  Australia,  w^ith  which  her 


104  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

exchanges  of  merchandise  are  constant.  Within  easy 
reach  of  India  and  China  on  one  side,  she  has  CaHfornia, 
Mexico,  and  South  America  on  the  other.  To  the  north 
He  the  hundreds  of  islands  which  constitute  the  groups 
of  Polynesia,  notable  for  their  voluptuous  climate  and 
primitive  fertility.  With  the  opening  of  the  Panama 
Canal  or  other  available  means  for  ships  to  cross  the 
isthmus  of  South  America,  New  Zealand  will  lie  directly 
in  the  highway  between  Europe  and  the  gold-fields  of  the 
great  inland  continent,  between  England  and  her  largest 
and  most  promising  colony. 

The  many  beautiful  islands  of  the  South  Sea  must 
sooner  or  later  come  under  the  commercial  sway  of  New 
Zealand,  as  they  may  be  explored  and  civilized.  Her 
admirable  harbors,  noble  estuaries,  and  navigable  rivers 
are  elsewhere  unsurpassed.  If  destined  to  achieve  great- 
ness, these  islands,  like  those  of  Great  Britain,  will  do  so 
through  the  development  and  maintenance  of  maritime 
power ;  and  with  so  many  natural  advantages  as  they 
possess  we  confidently  predict  for  them  this  final  ac- 
complishment. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  105 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

FROM  Auckland  we  take  a  steamer  for  Asia  by  way 
of  Sydney  and  other  ports  of  Australia,  crossing  the 
Indian  Ocean  and  landing  at  the  extreme  southerly  point 
of  India,  at  Tuticorin.  It  is  a  quaint  old  place  of  little 
present  interest,  though  it  was  once  famous  for  its  pearl 
fisheries.  We  proceed  northward  by  railway  to  Madura, 
where,  there  being  no  hotel,  we  take  up  our  quarters  in 
an  unoccupied  native  house,  situated  in  a  grove  of  cocoa- 
nut-trees.  Flies,  mosquitoes,  and  scorpions  dispute  posses- 
sion with  us,  and  ugly-looking  snakes  creep  close  to  the 
low  piazza.  Flying-foxes  hang  motionless  from  the 
branches  of  the  trees ;  clouds  of  butterflies,  many-colored, 
sunshine-loving  creatures,  in  infinite  variety,  flit  about  the 
bungalow,  some  with  such  gaudy  spread  of  wing  as  to  tempt 
pursuit.  Large  bronze  and  yellow  beetles  walk  through  the 
short  grass  with  the  coolness  and  gait  of  domestic  poultry. 
Occasionally  a  chameleon  turns  up  its  bright  eye,  as  though 
to  take  our  measure.  The  redundancy  of  insect  and  rep- 
tile life  is  wonderful  in  Southern  India. 

The  principal  attraction  to  the  traveller  in  Madura,  which 
contains  some  fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  is  a  remarkable 
and  very  ancient  temple  supported  by  two  thousand  stone 
columns.  It  is  probably  one  of  the  largest  and  finest 
monuments  of  Hindoo  art  in  existence,  covering  in  all  its 
divisions,  courts,  shrines,  colonnades,  and  tanks,  twenty 
acres  of  ground.     It  has  nine  lofty  tower-like  gates  of  en- 


I06  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

trance  and  exit,  each  one  of  which  has  the  effect  of  form- 
ing an  indivickial  pagoda.  In  the  central  area  of  the  tem- 
ple is  what  is  known  as  the  "Tank  of  the  Golden  Lily" 
being  a  large  body  of  water  covering  a  couple  of  acres  of 
ground,  and  leading  into  which  are  broad  stone  steps  on 
all  sides.  Here  individuals  of  both  sexes  are  seen  con- 
stantly bathing  for  religious  purification.  A  grand  tank  is 
the  adjunct  of  every  Indian  temple.  This  mass  of  build- 
ings contains  many  living  sacred  elephants,  deified  bulls, 
enshrined  idols,  and  strange  ornamentation,  the  aggregate 
cost  of  which  must  have  been  enormous.  The  elephants 
rival  the  beggars  in  their  importunities,  being  accustomed 
to  receive  an  unlimited  amount  of  delicacies  from  visitors, 
such  as  fruits,  sweetmeats,  candies,  and  the  like. 

Another  hundred  miles  northward  by  railway  brings 
us  to  the  city  of  Trichinopoly,  where  the  famous  natural 
rock  five  hundred  feet  in  height  is  crowned  by  the  Temple 
of  Ganesa.  The  view  from  this  eminence  is  exceptionally 
fine.  The  town  far  below  us  looks  as  though  it  had  been 
shaken  up  and  dropped  there  by  a  convulsion  of  nature. 
There  is  no  regularity  in  the  laying  out  of  the  place  ;  it  is 
a  confused  mass  of  buildings,  narrow  paths,  crooked  roads, 
and  low-built  mud  cabins.  In  what  is  called  the  silver- 
smith's quarter,  amid  filthy  lanes,  full  of  dirty  children, 
mangy  dogs,  and  moping  cats,  we  find  hovels  containing 
finely  wrought  silver  ornaments  manufactured  on  the  spot 
by  the  natives.  So  original  and  elegant  are  these  wares 
that  they  have  a  reputation  beyond  the  borders  of  India. 
Trichinopoly  has  over  sixty  thousand  inhabitants.  But 
however  much  there  may  be  to  interest  us,  we  must  not 
tarry  long.  Two  hundred  miles  still  northward  bring  us  to 
Tanjore,  a  large  fortified  city,  where  we  find  a  mammoth 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  10/ 

and  gorgeously  decorated  car  of  Juggernaut,  the  Indian 
idol.  It  makes  its  annual  excursion  from  the  temple 
through  the  town,  drawn  by  hundreds  of  worshippers,  who 
come  from  great  distances  to  assist  at  the  ceremony.  Pil- 
grims, delirious  with  fanaticism,  used  once  to  throw  them- 
selves under  the  wheels  of  the  huge  car  and  perish.  This 
self-immolation  is  now  almost  entirely  suppressed  by  the 
government,  as  is  the  kindred  one  of  the  burning  of  wid- 
ows upon  their  husbands'  funeral  piles.  From  1815  to 
1826,  published  statistics  show  that  fifteen  thousand  widows 
perished  thus  in  India  ! 

The  great  temple  of  Tanj ore  is  fourteen  stories  in  height, 
and  measures  two  hundred  feet  from  base  to  top.  These 
temples  all  resemble  each  other  in  general  design,  and  are 
characterized  by  grotesqueness,  caricature,  and  vulgar  ima- 
ges, as  well  as  by  infinite  detail  in  their  finish.  Though  they 
are  gorgeously  decked  in  colors,  and  gross  in  ornamenta- 
tion, still  they  are  so  grand  in  size  and  on  so  costly  a  scale, 
as  to  create  amazement  rather  than  disgust.  It  would  seem 
that  a  people  equal  to  such  efforts  must  have  been  capa- 
ble of  something  better.  In  all  grosser  forms  of  supersti- 
tion and  idolatry,  carnal  and  material  elements  seem  to  be 
essential  to  bind  and  attract  the  ignorant,  and  this  is  un- 
doubtedly the  governing  policy  of  a  religion,  embodying 
emblems  so  outrageous  to  Christian  sensibility.  This  grand 
pagoda  at  Tanj  ore,  taken  as  a  whole,  is  the  most  remarka- 
ble religious  monument  in  India.  In  passing  through  the 
southern  section  of  the  country,  we  see  many  ruined  tem- 
ples in  unpopulated  districts,  which  belong  to  past  ages  ; 
many  mammoth  stone  elephants  and  bulls,  crumbling  by 
the  wear  of  centuries.  Large  flocks  of  goats  tended  by 
herdsmen   are    seen    distributed    over   the  plains,  and  so 


I08  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

level  is  the  country,  that  the  eye  can  make  out  these  groups 
for  miles  away  on  either  side  of  the  railroad.  Well-culti- 
vated plantations  of  sugar-cane,  plantains,  wheat,  rice,  and 
orchards  of  fruit  come  into  view.  The  old  style  of  irriga- 
tion goes  on,  by  means  of  buckets  worked  by  hand,  the 
same  as  was  practised  in  the  East  four  thousand  years  ago, 
while  the  very  plough,  rude  and  inefficient,  which  is  used 
upon  their  plains  to-day  is  after  the  antique  fashion  belong- 
ing to  the  same  period.  Indeed,  except  that  the  railroad 
runs  through  Southern  India,  there  appears  to  have  been 
no  progress  there  for  thousands  of  years.  A  lethargy  of 
the  most  hopeless  character  seems  to  possess  the  common 
people.  Their  mud  cabins  are  not  suitable  abodes  for 
human  beings,  and  are  distanced  in  neatness  by  the  ant- 
hills. Such  a  degraded  condition  of  humanity  can  hardly 
be  found  elsewhere  among  semi-civilized  races.  The 
women  are  worn  by  hardships.  The  men  are  cadaverous 
and  listless.  Clothing  among  them  is  the  exception ; 
nudity  is  the  rule.  It  seems  strange,  but  it  is  true,  that 
one-quarter  of  the  human  race  goes  naked  in  this  nine- 
teenth century. 

A  day's  journey  northward  by  railroad  brings  us  to  Madras, 
situated  upon  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  The  city  is  spread 
out  over  a  very  large  territory,  with  a  number  of  broad, 
open  fields  and  squares,  designed  for  drilling  of  troops, 
some  for  ball-players,  and  some  for  ordinary  parks.  There 
is  an  abundant  and  handsome  growth  of  trees  all  about  the 
city,  lining  the  main  streets  and  testifying  to  the  judicious 
attention  given  by  the  authorities  to  this  species  of  orna- 
mental shade  so  necessary  in  a  warm  climate.  The  wide 
streets  are  admirably  kept,  and  are  all  macadamized.  This 
applies,  however,  to  the  European  portion   of  the  town. 


yOUJiXEYJNGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 09 

with  its  fine,  large  public  buildings,  consisting  of  literary 
and  scientific  institutions  as  well  as  various  educational 
and  charitable  ones.  The  native  portion  of  Madras  is  con- 
tracted and  dirty  in  the  extreme,  no  attention  being  given 
to  cleanliness  or  decency.  The  extensive  English  fort 
—  Fort  George  —  is  one  of  the  best  constructed  in  the 
East,  forming  a  most  prominent  feature  of  the  city,  and 
crowning  a  moderate  rise  of  ground  near  the  shore.  Its 
attractive  though  warlike  surroundings,  white  walls,  flower 
plats,  and  green,  sloping  banks  present  a  charming  picture. 
Fort  George  was  the  original  name  of  the  city.  A  noble 
lighthouse  is  situated  within  the  fortifications.  Near  this 
spot,  along  the  coast  to  the  northward,  are  the  rock-cut 
temples  of  Mahabulihuram  rendered  familiar  by  Southey's 
admirable  verses. 

Dancing-girls  are  to  be  seen  here,  on  the  streets.  They 
are  attached  to  some  native  temple,  as  no  religious  cere- 
mony or  gala  day  is  considered  complete  without  them ; 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  all  large  private  entertain- 
ments, no  guests  ever  dancing  in  the  East.  They  prefer 
to  hire  it  done  for  them.  These  Indian  dancing-girls, 
with  a  musical  accompaniment,  tell  a  story  by  their  per- 
formance, expressing  grief,  joy,  jealousy,  and  other  passions 
so  well  portrayed,  that  one  easily  interprets  the  panto- 
mime. They  preserve  strict  propriety  in  their  dances, 
which  are  curious  to  witness,  their  ankles  being  covered  with 
silver  bells,  and  their  wrists  and  arms  similarly  decked. 

No  more  unprotected  spot  could  be  found  on  the  surf- 
beaten  shore  of  the  Coromandel  coast  than  this  where 
stands  Madras.  It  is  so  completely  exposed  to  the  north- 
east monsoons  as  to  be  inaccessible  for  sailing-vessels  from 
October  to  January,  and  yet  it  was  the  first  British  capital 


no  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

in  India.  There  is  usually  such  a  surf  on  the  shore  that 
nothing  but  the  native  boats  can  weather  it ;  and  when  high 
winds  prevail,  it  is  too  much  even  for  them.  We  embark 
by  steamship  from  Madras,  and  after  a  voyage  of  nearly  a 
thousand  miles  up  the  coast  and  Hoogly  River,  land  at 
Calcutta,  which  is  the  political  capital  of  India,  though 
since  the  Suez  Canal  has  been  opened,  Bombay  rivals  it 
commercially. 

Calcutta  is  a  very  interesting  city,  very  Indian,  notwith- 
standing that  so  many  Europeans  live  here,  and  that  it  has 
so  long  been  under  English  rule,  but  it  is  by  no  means 
entitled  to  the  designation  so  often  given  to  it,  namely, 
the  ''  City  of  Palaces."  It  is  quite  modern,  having  no 
remains  of  antiquity  about  it,  and  in  1686  was  but  a  mud 
village.  As  seen  from  the  Hoogly,  when  one  first  arrives, 
it  exhibits  a  strong  array  of  fine  public  buildings  ;  but  a 
passage  of  a  few  rods,  diverging  from  the  main  thorough- 
fare, brings  the  visitor  upon  the  dirty  streets,  the  mean 
and  narrow  houses,  and  general  squalor  of  the  native 
population. 

The  Burning  Ghat,  where  cremation  is  going  on  at  all 
hours  of  the  day,  is  the  first  place  the  stranger  visits. 
The  bodies  are  brought  in  and  placed  upon  a  square  pile 
of  wood,  raised  to  a  height  of  four  feet,  in  the  open  yard. 
Under  the  wood  there  is  plenty  of  combustible  material  ; 
the  torch  is  applied,  and  instantly  all  is  hidden  by  the 
flames.  In  three  hours  nothing  but  calcined  bones  and 
ashes  are  left.  These  are  carefully  gathered  and  cast  into 
the  river.  The  Ghat  is  open  to  the  sky,  so  that  the  ven- 
tilation is  perfect,  but  the  atmosphere  is  nevertheless  im- 
pregnated with  an  unpleasant  odor.  The  Hoogly  River 
being  one  of  the  outlets  of  the  much-revered  Ganges,  is 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  Ill 

considered  to  be  equally  sacred.  Close  by  the  Burning 
Ghat,  along  the  river's  front,  there  is  a  number  of  sheds, 
with  only  partial  shelter  from  the  street,  where  poor  dying 
Hindoos  are  brought  to  breathe  their  last,  beheving  that 
if  they  pass  away  close  to  the  sacred  water,  their  spirits 
will  be  instantly  wafted  to  the  regions  of  bliss.  Here 
they  are  attended  by  people  who  make  this  their  business, 
and  it  is  believed  that  they  often  hasten  the  demise  of  the 
sufferers  by  convenient  means.  Human  life  is  held  of 
very  little  account  among  these  people,  whose  faith  bridges 
the  gulf  of  death,  and  who  were  at  one  time  so  prone 
to  suicide  by  drowning  in  the  Ganges,  as  to  render  it 
necessary  on  the  part  of  the  English  to  establish  watch- 
men every  night  along  the  city  shore  of  the  sacred  river 
to  prevent  it. 

At  the  close  of  each  day,  about  an  hour  before  sunset, 
all  fashionable  Calcutta  turns  out  in  state  for  a  drive  on 
the  Maiden,  —  the  Hindoostanee  name  for  esplanade,  — 
a  broad  and  finely  macadamized  roadway,  extending  along 
the  river's  bank  by  the  fort  and  cricket  grounds.  It  is 
the  Indian  Hyde  Park,  or  Bengal  Champs  Elysees  (the 
famous  Parisian  boulevard).  The  variety,  elegance,  and 
costliness  of  the  equipages  in  grand  livery  are  surprising. 
The  whole  scene  is  enlivened  by  the  beautiful  dresses  of 
the  ladies,  the  dashing  costumes  and  gold  lace  of  the 
nabobs,  the  quaint  Oriental  dress  of  their  barefooted 
attendants,  and  the  spirited  music  of  the  military  band. 
The  superb  horses  in  their  gold-mounted  harnesses  dash 
over  the  course  at  a  spirited  gait ;  the  twilight  hour  is 
brief,  the  shadows  lengthen,  when  a  hundred  electric 
lamps  flash  upon  the  scene,  rivalling  the  light  of  day. 
Then  the  occupants  of  the  open  vehicles,  and  the  eques- 


112  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

trians,  gather  about  the  Eden  Garden,  in  rows,  six  or  eight 
deep,  and  Hsten  to  the  popular  airs,  or  chat  merrily  in  the 
intervals.  The  Cascine  at  Florence,  the  Pincio  at  Rome, 
the  Chiaja  at  Naples,  the  Prado  at  Madrid  —  none  of  these 
famous  drives  can  compare  with  the  Maiden  of  Calcutta 
for  gayety,  variety,  and  attractiveness. 

Calcutta  is  said  to  contain  a  population  of  a  million. 
It  is  sometimes  visited  by  cyclones,  and  the  fierceness  of 
these  warrings  of  the  elements  may  be  judged  by  the 
fact  that  at  the  last  occurrence  of  the  sort  thirty  thousand 
native  houses  were  totally  destroyed  in  half  an  hour.  The 
Hoogly  River  often  experiences  the  effect  of  tidal  waves 
during  the  monsoons,  which  dash  up  from  the  sea  at  a 
speed  of  twenty  miles  an  hour,  causing  much  destruction. 
Ships  lying  off  the  city  on  such  occasions  often  part  their 
cables  and  are  driven  on  shore,  while  many  of  the  small 
craft  along  the  eighty  miles  of  river  course  are  entirely 
destroyed. 

A  journey  of  four  hundred  miles  to  the  northward,  the 
last  half  of  which  is  performed  by  narrow-gauge  railway, 
which  climbs  zigzag  fashion  over  a  very  hilly  country, 
will  enable  us  to  reach  Darjeeling,  nearly  nine  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Here  we  are  in  proximity 
to  and  in  full  view  of  the  Himalayan  range  of  mountains, 
the  loftiest  on  the  globe.  The  lowest  peak  is  over  twenty 
thousand  feet  in  height ;  the  highest  exceeds  twenty-eight 
thousand.  Upon  the  range  rest  eleven  thousand  feet  of 
perpetual  snow.  There  can  be  no  animal  life  in  that 
Arctic  region  —  only  the  snow  and  ice  rest  there  in  end- 
less sleep.  The  Himalayas  —  meaning  the  *' Halls  of 
Snow  "  —  form  the  northern  boundary  of  India,  and  shut 
out  the  country  from  the  rest  of  Asia.     Thibet,  which  lies 


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yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  II3 

just  over  the  range,  whence  we  view  it,  is  virtually  in- 
accessible by  this  route,  the  wild  region  between  being 
nearly  impassable.  Bold  parties  of  traders,  wrapped  in 
sheepskins,  do  sometimes  force  their  way  over  the  moun- 
tains at  an  elevation  of  eighteen  thousand  feet,  but  it  is  a 
most  hazardous  thing  to  do,  and  the  bones  of  worn-out 
mules  mark  the  frozen  way,  telling  of  suffering  and  aban- 
donment. The  little  yak  cow,  whose  bushy  tail  is  manu- 
factured into  lace,  has  been  found  to  be  the  best  and  most 
enduring  animal  to  depend  upon  when  such  journeys  are 
performed.  She  will  patiently  toil  up  the  steep  gorges 
with  a  load  on  her  back,  and  will  drop  dead  in  her  tracks 
before  she  will  show  any  stubbornness  or  want  of  courage. 
The  culminating  point  of  the  range,  and  the  highest  moun- 
tain peak  in  the  world,  is  Mount  Everest,  which  is  a  little 
over  twenty-nine  thousand  feet  in  height  above  the  level 
of  the  sea. 

Darjeeling  is  becoming  the  centre  of  a  great  tea-produc- 
ing district,  and  thus  India  bids  fair  to  rival  China  in  a  prod- 
uct which  has  seemed  to  belong  almost  exclusively  to  China 
from  time  immemorial.  English  capitalists  are  largely  em- 
barking in  this  enterprise,  and  extensive  tea-plantations  are 
already  in  full  process  of  successful  yielding,  sending  tea 
annually  to  the  London  market.  At  first  it  seems  strange 
to  see  the  tea-plant  flourishing  at  such  an  altitude,  covering 
hundreds  of  acres  of  the  mountain's  sides,  on  the  road  de- 
scending from  Darjeeling,  towards  the  plains  of  Hindoostan, 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  latitude  of  this  region 
is  just  about  that  of  Florida  and  the  West  Indies.  As  to 
the  product  of  these  tea-fields,  one  realizes  no  difference 
in  its  flavor  from  that  of  the  Chinese  leaf.  In  England 
it  is  known  as  Assam  tea. 


114  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

As  we  descend  towards  the  level  country,  amid  many 
other  flowering  trees,  the  magnolia  is  most  prominent. 
The  wild  and  abundant  growth  of  the  rhododendron,  which 
here  becomes  a  forest  tree,  mingles  with  a  handsome 
species  of  cedar,  which  rises  in  dark  and  stately  groups  and 
forms  a  marked  feature  in  the  landscape.  The  general 
luxuriance  of  the  vegetation  is  conspicuous,  thickly  cloth- 
ing the  branches  of  the  trees  with  mosses,  ferns,  and  creep- 
ing vines.  Here  we  observe  the  cotton-tree,  with  its  red 
blossoms,  which  yields  a  coarse  material  for  native  use. 
Also  a  species  of  lotus  called  ''  Queen  of  the  Forest,"  the 
leaves  of  which  are  used  by  the  common  people  in  place 
of  tea.  Many  bright  and  exquisitely  delicate  ferns  spring 
up  among  the  damp  undergrowth  about  the  places  where 
we  stop  to  take  water  for  our  little,  noisy,  spluttering 
engine.  Brilliant  butterflies  float  like  motes  in  the  sun- 
shine, contrasting  with  the  repulsive  whip-snakes  seen 
hanging  from  the  low  branches  of  the  trees.  Vegeta- 
tion and  animal  life  seem  to  be  singularly  abundant  and 
prolific  in  these  foot-hills  of  the  famous  mountain  range. 

Our  course  now  lies  towards  Benares,  over  the  plains  of 
Middle  India,  some  five  hundred  miles  from  Calcutta.  The 
people  on  the  route  seem  to  be  wretchedly  poor,  living  in 
the  most  primitive  mud  cabins  thatched  with  straw.  Such 
squalor  and  visible  poverty  can  be  found  nowhere  else  in 
any  country  outside  of  Ireland,  and  yet  we  are  passing 
through  a  famous  agricultural  district  which  ought  to  sup- 
port thrifty  farmhouses  and  smiling  villages.  It  abounds 
in  productive  rice,  wheat,  sugar-cane,  and  vast  poppy  fields, 
—  these  last  treacherously  beautiful,  —  and  from  which  the 
opium  of  commerce  is  derived.  The  presence  of  such 
abundance   makes   the   contrast  in  the   condition  of   the 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  I15 

peasantry  all  the  more  puzzling.  There  must  be  some- 
thing radically  wrong  in  the  modes  of  the  governing 
power.  This  part  of  India  is  noted  for  the  excellence  and 
prolific  yield  of  its  sugar  crops.  From  here,  also,  indigo 
and  saltpetre  are  exported  in  large  quantities.  Along  the 
route  traversed  by  the  railway  we  see  fruit-trees  of  various 
sorts  native  to  this  section,  such  as  tamarinds,  almonds, 
mangos,  oranges,  cocoanuts,  and  other  products  of  the 
palm  family.  Temples,  centuries  in  age  and  quite  in  ruins, 
come  into  view  now  and  again,  often  adjacent  to  a  cluster 
of  low  mud  hovels.  From  the  branches  of  the  trees  flit 
birds  of  such  fantastic  colors  as  to  cause  exclamations  of 
surprise.  Occasional  specimens  of  the  bird-of-paradise 
are  seen,  with  its  long  and  graceful  tail-feathers  glittering 
in  the  sunshine  and  presenting  an  array  of  bright  colors 
which  are  not  preserved  upon  this  bird  in  captivity.  Tall 
flamingoes  in  snowy  plumage,  just  touched  with  scarlet 
on  either  wing,  fly  lazily  over  the  ponds,  or  stand  by  the 
banks  resting  quietly  upon  one  long,  slim  leg.  Parrots 
abound  in  carnival  hues,  and  buff-colored  doves,  with  soft 
white  rings  of  feathers  about  their  necks,  coquet  lovingly 
t02:ether. 

Benares,  the  first  large  city  on  the  united  Ganges  and 
Jumna,  may  be  called  the  citadel  of  Hindooism,  containing 
about  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  permanent  inhabitants 
and  as  many  more  floating  population,  composed  of  pilgrims 
constantly  coming  and  going.  What  Jerusalem  is  to  the 
Jew,  Rome  to  the  Roman  Catholic,  Mecca  to  the  Moham- 
medan, Benares  is  to  the  Hindoo.  It  is  supposed  by  many 
to  be  the  oldest  known  habitation  of  man.  Twenty-five 
centuries  ago,  when  Rome  was  unknown  and  Athens  was 
in  its  youth,  Benares  was  already  famous.      It  is  situated 


Il6  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

on  the  left  bank  of  the  Ganges,  to  bathe  in  which  river 
insures  to  the  devout  Hindoo  forgiveness  of  all  sins  and  an 
easy  passport  to  the  regions  of  the  blest.  Here,  as  in  Cal- 
cutta, cremation  is  constantly  going  on  beside  the  river. 
While  we  are  looking  at  the  scene  there  comes  a  family 
group  bearing  a  body  to  the  funeral  pile.  It  is  covered  by 
a  linen  sheet.  In  the  folded  hands  are  white  rosebuds,  and 
orange  blossoms  encircle  the  marble  brow.  There  is  no 
apparent  lack  of  heart-felt  grief.  It  is  the  body  of  a  young 
maiden  decked  for  her  bridal  with  death.  After  a  few 
moments  the  red  flames  wind  themselves  ravenously  about 
the  youthful  body,  and  quickly  all  is  blackness  and  ashes. 
Benares  is  mostly  supported  by  the  presence  of  pilgrims, 
but  there  is  manufactured  here  a  brass  ware  of  such  ex- 
quisite finish  as  to  defy  competition.  In  her  dark  alleys 
and  narrow  lanes  they  also  produce  a  fine  article  of  sil- 
ver embroidery  of  marvellous  delicacy  and  beauty,  greatly 
prized  by  travellers  as  a  souvenir.  The  pilgrims  who 
participate  in  the  river  scenes  are  by  no  means  all  of  the 
lower  classes  ;  now  and  then  a  gorgeously  dressed  official 
may  be  seen,  with  a  long  line  of  attendants,  wending  his 
steps  towards  the  river's  front.  Infirm  old  men  and  little 
children,  crazy-looking  devotees  and  comely  youths,  boys 
and  girls,  people  of  all  ages  and  degrees,  are  represented  in 
the  motley  groups  who  come  to  these  muddy  waters  for 
moral  purification.  There  is  a  singular  mingling  of  races 
also,  for  these  people  do  not  all  speak  one  tongue.  They  are 
from  the  extreme  north  and  the  extreme  south  of  India, 
w^hile  the  half-starved  vagrants  seen  among  them,  and  who 
come  from  Middle  India,  could  not  make  themselves  un- 
derstood by  people  from  either  extreme.  A  common  pur- 
pose moves  them,  but  they  cannot  express  themselves  in 


yOURMEYINGS  IiV  MANY  LANDS.  117 

a  common  language.  Pilgrims  are  here  from  Thibet  and 
Cashmere,  from  the  far-off  Himalayan  country,  as  well  as 
from  Tuticorin,  on  the  Indian  Ocean.  Numberless  idols 
and  symbols  of  the  most  vulgar  character  abound  all  over^ 
the  town,  in  small  temples,  before  which  men  and  w^omen 
bow  down  in  silent  devotion.  Idolatry  is  here  seen  in  its 
most  repulsive  form.  The  delusion,  however,  is  perfect, 
and  these  poor  creatures  are  terribly  in  earnest. 

Animals  are  worshipped,  such  as  bulls,  snakes,  monkeys, 
and  pigeons.  One  of  the  peculiar  temples  of  the  city  is 
devoted  solely  to  the  worship  of  monkeys,  where  hundreds 
of  these  mischievous  animals  find  a  luxurious  home,  no  one 
ever  interfering  wdth  their  whims  except  to  pet  and  to  feed 
them.  This  temple  contains  a  singular  altar,  before  which 
devotional  rites  are  performed  by  believing  visitors.  On 
the  Ghats,  beside  the  river,  these  Hindoos  pass  the  hap- 
piest hours  of  their  sad  lives,  coming  from  the  confined, 
dirty,  unwholesome  streets  and  alleys  in  which  they  sleep 
and  eat,  to  pray  and  to  bathe,  as  well  as  to  breathe  the 
fresh  air  and  to  bask  in  the  sun.  The  hideous  fakirs,  or 
begging  Oriental  monks,  make  their  fixed  abode  here,  living 
entirely  in  the  open  air,  most  of  them  diseased,  and  all 
misshapen  by  voluntarily  acquired  deformity.  Their  dis- 
torted limbs  are  fixed  in  attitudes  of  penance  until  they 
become  set  and  immovable.  There  are  pious  believers 
enough  to  kneel  before  them  and  to  give  them  food  and 
money  by  which  means  to  support  their  strange  and 
fanatical  self-immolation. 

We  visit  at  Benares  an  ancient  observatory  of  more  than 
ordinary  interest,  erected  by  a  famous  Hindoo  patron  of 
science.  Rajah  Manu.  Though  it  is  now  quite  neglected 
and  in  partial  ruins,  a  sun-dial,  a  zodiac,  meridian  lines, 


Il8  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

and  astronomical  appliances  are  still  distinctly  traced  upon 
heavy  stones  arranged  for  celestial  observations.  This 
proves  that  astronomy  was  well  advanced  at  Benares  hun- 
dreds of  years  before  Galileo  was  born,  and  it  will  be  re- 
membered that  the  astronomers  of  India  first  settled  the 
fact  of  the  rotation  of  the  earth.  The  Man-]\Iundil,  as 
this  observatory  is  called,  forms  a  most  important  historic 
link  between  the  days  of  the  Pharaohs  and  the  nineteenth 
century. 

Five  hundred  miles  of  travel  by  way  of  Cawnpore  will 
bring  us  to  Delhi,  where  a  visit  to  the  crumbling  palace  of 
the  late  king  will  show  us  the  remains  of  that  famous  Pea- 
cock Throne,  the  marvel  of  the  world  when  the  Mogul 
dynasty  was  at  its  zenith  —  a  throne  of  solid  gold,  orna- 
mented with  rubies,  sapphires,  and  diamonds,  the  aggregate 
value  of  which  was  thirty  million  dollars.  It  was  six  feet 
long  and  four  feet  broad,  surmounted  by  a  gold  canopy 
supported  by  twelve  pillars  composed  of  the  same  precious 
metal.  The  back  of  the  throne  was  so  constructed  as  to 
represent  a  peacock  with  expanded  tail,  the  natural  colors 
of  which  were  exactly  imitated  with  rubies,  sapphires,  dia- 
monds, and  other  precious  stones.  Delhi  was  for  centu- 
ries the  proudest  metropolis  of  India  ;  within  a  circle  of 
twenty  miles  of  the  present  locality,  one  city  after  another 
has  established  its  capital,  ruled  in  splendor,  and  passed 
away.  One  monument,  which  we  find  in  the  environs, 
has  thus  far  defied  the  destructive  finger  of  time,  —  the 
Katub-Minar,  which  stands  alone  amid  hoary  ruins,  the 
loftiest  single  column  in  the  world,  but  of  which  there  is 
no  satisfactory  record.  It  is  not  inappropriately  con- 
sidered one  of  the  greatest  architectural  marvels  of  India, 
and  whoever  erected  it  achieved  a  triumph  of  gracefulness 


i;miiiiiiiiii',mii'n'!"i^i!ii!\\;*\.a# 


•li    I    ilii:  n  '  iiii  ti.  '.  I  I'Muiii 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  II9 

and  skill.  It  is  built  of  red  stone  elaborately  ornamented 
in  the  form  of  a  minaret,  measuring  about  fifty  feet  in 
diameter  at  the  base  and  ten  at  the  top,  with  a  height  from 
the  ground  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  divided  into  five 
stories,  each  fitted  with  an  outer  gallery  and  adorned  with 
colossal  inscriptions.  The  whole  exterior  is  fluted  from 
base  to  top,  narrowing  gradually  towards  the  summit. 

In  the  broad  main  thoroughfare  of  Delhi  —  the  Chandni 
Chowk  —  one  constantly  meets  ponderous  elephants,  sol- 
emn and  awkward  camels,  fine  Arabian  horses,  and  the 
diminutive,  toy-like  ponies  of  Cashmere.  Daily  marriage 
processions  of  the  most  fantastic  description  crowd  the 
roadway,  with  the  animals  just  named  caparisoned  in  a 
gaudy,  harlequin  style,  accompanied  by  unskilled  musicians 
on  foot,  whose  qualifications  evidently  consist  in  being 
able  to  make  the  greatest  amount  of  noise  upon  a  drum, 
fife,  or  horn,  which  are  the  three  instruments  employed  on 
these  occasions.  Some  of  the  white  horses  in  the  pro- 
cessions are  painted  in  parts,  sky-blue,  and  some  are 
decked  with  saffron-yellow.  In  the  ranks  are  covered 
bullock-carts  with  peep-holes,  in  which  ride  the  women  of 
the  harem.  Mingled  with  these  are  men  bearing  banners 
with  Hindoo  mottoes  and  ludicrous  caricatures,  half  human 
and  half  animal.  This  is  called  a  marriage  procession, 
but  upon  careful  inquiry  it  is  found  to  be  only  a  betrothal 
of  children  too  young  to  marry.  The  boy-bridegroom 
appears  upon  an  elephant,  and  is  dressed  like  a  circus 
rider  ;  but  the  future  bride,  probably  a  httle  girl  of  six  or 
eight  years,  does  not  appear  :  she  remains  at  home  to  be 
called  upon  by  this  motley  crowd,  when  a  brief  ceremony 
takes  place,  —  presents  being  duly  exchanged,  —  and  the 
farce  is  then  ended. 


120  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

A  journey  of  nine  hundred  miles,  still  over  these  broad 
plains  of  India,  will  bring  us  to  the  city  of  Agra,  which, 
like  Delhi,  stands  not  on  the  Ganges,  but  on  its  great 
tributary,  the  Jumna.  It  is  an  important  city,  containing 
over  forty  thousand  inhabitants.  To  all  who  visit  this  place 
the  first  object  of  interest  will  be  the  Taj  (pronounced 
TaJij)  Mahal,  or  tomb  of  the  wife  of  the  Emperor  Shah- 
Jehan.  It  is  the  most  interesting  edifice  in  India  and 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  world.  A  tomb  in  this 
country  means  a  magnificent  structure  of  marble,  with 
domes  and  minarets,  the  walls  inlaid  with  precious  stones, 
and  the  whole  surrounded  by  gardens,  fountains,  and  arti- 
ficial lakes,  covering  from  ten  to  twenty  acres.  Cheap 
as  labor  is  in  India,  the  Taj  must  have  cost  some  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars,  and  was  seventeen  years  in  building. 
The  Mogul  Emperor  resolved  to  erect  the  most  superb 
monument  ever  reared  to  commemorate  a  woman's 
name,  and  he  succeeded,  for  herein  Mohammedan  archi- 
tecture reached  its  height.  The  mausoleum  is  situated  in 
a  spacious  garden,  the  equal  of  which  can  hardly  be  found 
elsewhere,  beautiful  to  the  eye  and  delightful  to  the  senses, 
with  fragrant  flowers,  exotic  and  indigenous.  This  grand 
structure,  with  the  ripeness  of  centuries  upon  it,  is  no 
ruin  ;  all  is  fragrant  and  fresh  as  at  the  hour  when  it  was 
completed.  It  is  of  white  marble,  three  hundred  feet  in 
height,  the  principal  dome  being  eighty  feet  high,  and  of 
such  exquisite  form  and  harmony  is  the  whole  that  it 
seems  almost  to  float  in  the  air. 

In  the  centre  of  the  Taj,  beneath  the  glorious  dome, 
are  two  raised  and  ornamented  marble  frames,  covering 
the  resting-place  of  the  emperor  and  his  wife.  How 
appropriate  is  the  inscription  at  the  threshold  :  "  To  the 


yoURiXEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  12 1 

memory  of  an  undying  love."  As  we  stand  beneath  the 
cupola,  let  us  repeat  in  a  low  tone  of  voice  a  verse  from 
Longfellow's  "Psalm  of  Life";  instantly  there  will  roll 
through  the  dimly  lighted  vault  above  a  soft  and  solemn 
repetition,  which  will  sound  as  though  voices  w^ere  repeat- 
ing the  psalm  in  the  skies.  Nothing  finer  or  more  lovely 
in  architecture  exists  than  this  faultless  monument,  this 
ideal  of  Saracenic  art. 

By  consulting  a  map  of  India  it  will  be  seen  that  few 
regions  in  the  world  present  such  an  array  of  remarkable 
cities  as  have  sprung  up  and  flourished  in  the  Ganges- 
Jumna  valley.  Here  we  have  Agra,  Delhi,  Cawnpore, 
Lucknow,  Allahabad,  Benares,  Mirozapur,  Patna,  Decca, 
and  Murshedabad.  What  historic  associations  arise  at 
the  bare  mention  of  these  Indian  cities ! 


122  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 


CHAPTER    IX. 

ON  our  way  southward  we  pass  through  the  beautiful, 
though  small  Indian  city  of  Jeypore,  which  is  under 
native  rule ;  those  we  have  heretofore  visited  are  subject 
to  Great  Britain.  It  is  quite  ancient,  though  there  are  no 
ruins  here,  everything  giving  evidence  of  present  pros- 
perity, peace,  and  abundance.  The  houses  are  painted  in 
rather  gaudy  colors,  but  are  neat  and  pretty.  Queer  little 
canvas-covered,  two-wheeled  carts,  their  tops  shaped  like 
half  an  egg-shell,  are  drawn  about  the  town  by  bullocks 
at  a  lively  trot.  Some  are  closely  curtained,  containing 
women  of  the  harem.  Oriental  seclusion  is  the  rule  with 
the  women.  Under  the  prince  who  rules  here  the  popula- 
tion exhibits  a  marked  contrast  to  those  of  India  generally, 
over  which  the  authority  of  England  extends.  There  are 
no  mud  cabins  here,  no  beggars,  no  visible  want  or  poverty. 
The  people  are  decently  clothed,  and  well  lodged  in  neat- 
looking  houses, -mostly  two  stories  in  height.  The  streets 
are  broad  and  well  kept,  with  bright,  bubbling  fountains 
here  and  there.  Our  excursions  in  this  neighborhood  are 
made  upon  camels  or  elephants.  Wild  animals  are  abun- 
dant, the  tiger  especially  being  much  dreaded.  Here,  as  at 
Singapore,  men,  women  and  children  are  daily  sacrificed 
to  their  rapacious  appetites  in  various  parts  of  the  district. 
It  is  said  to  be  a  fact,  that  these  animals  having  once  tasted 
human  flesh,  will  be  satisfied  with  none  other,  but  will 
leave  the  antelope  and  smaller  game  unmolested,  though 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  I  23 

they  are  known  to  abound  in  the  vicinity,  and  he  in  wait 
for  days  to  capture  human  prey,  even  invading  the  villages 
at  night.  English  hunters  visit  Jeypore  in  large  numbers 
annually  to  capture  this  dangerous  game. 

From  this  native  city  to  Bombay  is  a  distance  of  seven 
hundred  miles  by  railway,  most  of  the  route  being  very 
sparsely  inhabited.  The  larger  portion  of  India  is  an 
immense  plain,  so  that  the  road  is  generally  very  monot- 
onous. Nearly  seven  hundred  thousand  acres  of  these 
plains  are  cultivated  with  poppies.  A  large  share  of  these 
opium  farms,  as  they  may  be  called,  belong  to  the  English 
government,  and  are  cultivated  by  their  agents.  Those 
which  are  conducted  on  private  account  are  very  heavily 
taxed,  and  are  mostly  carried  on  in  the  interest  of  the 
Parsee  merchants  of  Bombay,  who  have  for  many  years 
controlled  the  largest  share  of  the  opium  trade.  We  fre- 
quently see  near  these  gorgeous  poppy-fields  ripening 
acres  of  grain,  which  would  be  stripped  of  their  valua- 
ble property  by  the  great  flocks  of  birds,  noticed  at  all 
times,  floating  like  clouds  over  our  heads,  were  precautions 
not  taken  to  drive  them  away.  For  this  purpose  a  tall 
platform  is  raised  upon  poles  to  a  height  of  twenty  feet 
in  the  centre  of  each  grain-field,  with  a  slight  straw  shelter 
over  it,  upon  which  a  young  boy  or  girl  is  stationed,  and 
whence  they  overlook  several  acres  of  grain.  They  have 
no  firearms,  but  are  supplied  with  a  simple  sling  and  a 
few  well-chosen  stones  :  should  a  bird  be  seen  too  near 
the  precious  grain,  an  unerring  stone  will  find  him,  and 
his  body  becomes  a  warning  to  the  rest  of  the  flock.  The 
precision  with  which  these  girls  and  boys  will  throw  a 
stone  a  long  distance  is  marvellous.  The  monkeys  which 
so  abound  in  Southern  India  are  not  to  be  got  rid  of  in  so 


124  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

easy  a  manner.  Birds  will  not  fly  after  dark,  nor  much 
before  sunrise,  but  the  monkeys  raid  the  fruit  and  vege- 
table fields  by  night,  and  are  capable  of  organizing  a  descent 
upon  some  promising  point  with  all  the  forethought  of 
human  thieves. 

The  opening  of  communication  with  England  by  the 
Red  Sea  route  has  given  to  Bombay  a  great  business 
impetus,  and  it  possesses  to-day  more  elements  of  future 
greatness  than  any  other  city  of  Asia.  The  two  principal 
capitals  of  the  country  are  situated  on  opposite  sides  of 
the  great  peninsula,  Calcutta  being  on  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
and  Bombay  on  the  Sea  of  Arabia.  We  have  in  the  latter 
a  population  of  a  million  and  over,  one  hundred  thousand 
of  whom  are  Parsees,  a  class  of  merchants  originally  from 
Persia,  who  represent  a  large  share  of  the  wealth  of  the 
city.  They  are  by  far  the  most  enterprising  and  intelli- 
gent of  the  natives  of  India,  and  are  in  entire  sympathy 
with  the  English  government.  Socially,  they  keep  to 
themselves,  strictly  preserving  their  well-defined  individ- 
uality. This  people  settled  here  more  than  eight  centu- 
ries ago,  after  their  expulsion  from  Persia.  Their  temples 
contain  no  images,  nothing  but  the  altars  bearing  the 
sacred  fire  which  their  fathers  brought  with  them  when 
they  landed  here  so  long  ago,  and  which  has  never  been 
extinguished,  according  to  their  traditions.  They  worship 
the  sun  as  the  representative  of  God,  and  fire  in  all  its 
forms,  as  well  as  the  ocean,  which  would  seem  to  be  an 
antagonistic  agent ;  but  as  their  religion  recognizes  one 
good  and  one  evil  principle  ever  contending  for  the 
mastery  of  the  universe,  perhaps  these  emblems  are  no 
contradiction. 

One  of  the  first  places  to  which    we  are    attracted   in 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  125 

Bombay  is  Malabar  Hill,  a  lofty  eminence  just  outside  the 
city.  On  the  top  are  the  five  famous  '*  Towers  of  Silence," 
which  constitute  the  cemetery  of  the  Parsees.  When  a 
death  occurs  among  them,  the  body  is  brought  here,  and 
after  a  brief  ceremony  the  corpse  is  carried  into  one  of  the 
towers,  where  it  is  exposed  upon  a  grating.  The  bearers 
retire  at  once,  and  the  door  is  locked.  These  towers  are 
open  at  the  top,  and  on  the  cornices  hundreds  of  vultures 
are  seen  waiting ;  as  soon  as  the  body  is  left,  they  swoop 
down  to  their  awful  meal,  eagerly  tearing  and  devouring 
the  corpse.  The  hideous  detail  is  not  visible,  but  the 
reappearance  of  those  evil  birds  in  a  gorged  condition  is 
only  too  significant  of  what  has  occurred.  The  devouring 
flames  which  consumed  the  bodies  at  Calcutta  and  at 
Benares  did  not  shock  us  like  this. 

Bombay  is  made  up  of  fine  public  buildings,  sumptuous 
dwellings,  and  low  hovels,  not  mingled  indiscriminately,  as 
is  often  seen  in  European  cities,  each  class  being  found 
clustering  in  its  special  locality.  In  Florence,  Rome,  or 
Naples,  a  half-starved  cobbler  will  be  found  occupying  a 
stall  beneath  a  palace ;  but  though  poverty  and  riches 
jostle  each  other  everywhere,  the  lines  of  demarcation  are 
more  clearly  defined  in  Bombay  than  elsewhere.  A  drive 
along  the  picturesque  shore  of  the  Arabian  Sea  is  an 
experience  never  to  be  forgotten.  It  will  be  sure  to 
recall  to  the  traveller  the  beautiful  environs  of  Genoa,  with 
those  winding,  rock-cut  roads  overlooking  the  ]\Iediter- 
ranean  Sea.  Here  the  roads  are  admirably  cool  and  half- 
embowered  in  foliage,  among  which  the  crimson  sagittaria 
flaunting  its  fiery  leaves  and  ponderous  blossoms,  every- 
where meets  the  eye.  About  the  fine  villas  which  are  set 
back  a  short  distance  from  the  roads,  delightful  gardens  of 


126  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

choice  flowers  are  seen,  comprising  an  abundance  of  tropi- 
cal plants,  tall  palms  lining  the  drive-ways  up  to  the  houses, 
where  the  merchant  princes  dwell.  Most  of  these  are  the 
residences  of  the  Parsees,  who  in  spite  of  their  bigotry  and 
their  adherence  to  ancient  superstitions,  know  how  to  make 
their  homes  beautiful. 

In  leaving  India,  a  few  thoughts  naturally  suggest  them- 
selves. Its  history  runs  back  through  thousands  of  years 
and  remotest  dynasties,  captivating  the  fancy  with  number- 
less ruins,  which,  while  attesting  the  splendor  of  their 
prime,  form  also  the  only  record  of  their  history.  The 
mosaic  character  of  its  population,  the  peculiarities  of  its 
animal  kingdom,  the  luxuriance  of  its  vegetation,  the 
dazzling  beauty  of  its  birds  and  flowers,  all  crowd  upon 
the  memory  in  charming  kaleidoscopic  combinations. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  early  grandeur  and  high 
civilization  of  India.  To  the  intellectual  eminence  of  her 
people  we  owe  the  germs  of  science,  philosophy,  law,  and 
astronomy.  The  most  perfect  of  all  tongues,  the  Sanskrit, 
has  been  the  parent  of  many  others,  and  now  that  her 
lustre  has  faded,  and  her  children  fallen  into  a  condition  of 
sloth  and  superstition,  let  us,  at  least,  do  her  historic 
justice.  Nor  should  we  neglect  to  heed  the  lesson  she  so 
clearly  presents ;  namely,  that  nations,  like  individuals,  are 
subject  to  the  unvarying  laws  of  mutability. 

The  government  of  India  is  a  military  despotism,  Eng- 
land maintaining  her  rule  by  force  alone  over  a  foreign 
people  numbering  four  times  as  many  as  the  whole  popula- 
tion of  the  United  States.  Order  is  preserved  at  a  cruel 
cost  of  life  among  an  entire  race  who  are  totally  unrepre- 
sented. In  travelling  from  city  to  city  one  is  not  surprised 
to   see  many  signs  of    restlessness  among    the    common 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  12/ 

people,  and  to  hear  harsh  expressions  against  British  rule. 
While  we  recall  with  a  thrill  of  horror  the  awful  cruelties 
and  the  slaughter  of  human  beings  during  the  rebellion  of 
the  native  race  against  the  English  authority  in  1857,  we 
do  not  wonder  that  a  people,  so  goaded  by  oppression, 
should  have  made  a  vigorous  and  bloody  struggle  to  obtain 
their  independence. 

We  embark  at  Bombay  on  a  voyage  of  three  thousand 
miles  across  the  Sea  of  Arabia  and  the  Indian  Ocean, 
through  the  Straits  of  Babelmandeb  and  the  entire  length 
of  the  Red  Sea.  The  most  southerly  point  of  the  voyage, 
taking  us  within  fourteen  degrees  of  the  equator,  carries 
us  into  an  extremely  warm  temperature.  The  ship  holds 
on  her  southwest  course  day  after  day,  lightly  fanned  by 
the  northeast  monsoon,  towards  the  mouth  of  the  Red  Sea. 
At  the  end  of  the  sixth  day  we  cast  anchor  at  the  Penin- 
sula of  Aden,  a  rocky,  isolated  spot  held  by  English  troops, 
and  very  properly  called  the  Gibraltar  of  the  Indian  Ocean. 
Like  that  famous  promontory,  it  was  originally  little  more 
than  a  barren  rock,  which  has  been  improved  into  a  pic- 
turesque and  habitable  place,  bristling  with  British  cannon 
of  heavy  calibre.  It  is  a  spot  much  dreaded  by  sailors, 
the  straits  being  half  closed  by  sunken  rocks,  besides  which 
the  shore  is  considered  to  be  the  most  unhealthy  spot  yet 
selected  by  civilized  man  as  a  residence.  The  Arabs  call 
the  strait  Babelmandeb,  that  is,  the  "Gate  of  Tears,"  be- 
cause of  the  number  of  vessels  which  have  been  wrecked 
here  in  the  endeavor  to  enter  from  the  open  sea.  Aden 
lies  within  the  rainless  zone,  so  that  sometimes  the  inhabi- 
tants see  no  rainfall  for  three  years  together.  The  remains 
of  an  ancient  and  magnificent  system  of  reservoirs  hewn 
out   of  the  solid   rock,  are  seen  here,  the  construction  of 


128  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

which  is  placed  at  a  date  previous  to  the  Christian  era,  and 
which  have  been  adapted  to  modern  use. 

As  we  He  at  anchor  here,  there  come  about  the  ship  a 
score  of  young  natives,  from  ten  to  fifteen  years  of  age. 
By  eloquent  gestures,  and  the  use  of  a  few  English  words, 
they  beg  of  us  to  throw  small  silver  coin  into  the  sea,  for 
which  they  will  dive  in  water  that  is  at  least  seven  fathoms 
deep.  The  instant  a  piece  of  money  is  thrown  overboard, 
every  canoe  becomes  emptied,  and  twenty  human  beings 
disappear  from  sight  like  a  flash.  Down,  down  go  the 
divers,  and  in  the  depths  struggle  together  for  the  trifle, 
some  one  of  the  throng  being  sure  to  rise  to  the  surface 
with  the  coin  displayed  between  his  teeth.  Nothing  but 
otters  and  seals  could  be  keener  sighted  or  more  expert  in 
the  water. 

The  general  aspect  of  Aden  from  the  sea,  though  pic- 
turesque, is  not  inviting,  giving  one  an  idea  of  great  barren- 
ness. The  mountains  and  rocks  have  a  peaked  appearance, 
like  a  spear  pointed  at  one,  as  much  as  to  say,  ''better 
keep  off."  People  who  land,  however,  for  the  first  time, 
are  agreeably  disappointed  by  finding  that  every  oppor- 
tunity for  encouraging  the  growth  of  vegetation  and  im- 
parting its  cheerful  effect  to  the  hard  rocky  soil  has  been 
carefully  improved. 

Our  course  after  leaving  Aden  is  nearly  north ;  the 
headlands  of  Abyssinia  are  long  visible  on  our  port  side, 
while  on  the  other  we  have  a  distant  view  of  Arabia. 
Jeddah,  the  seaport  of  Mecca,  with  its  bright  minarets,  is 
to  be  seen  in  the  distance.  In  coasting  along  the  shores  of 
Nubia,  the  dense  air  from  off  the  land  is  like  a  sirocco, 
suffocatingly  hot.  Suez  is  reached  at  last,  a  place  which  is 
all  waste  and  barrenness,  so  we  hasten  on  by  railway  to 
Cairo,  a  distance  of  two  hundred  miles. 


Page  129. 


A  WELL  IN  THE  DESERT  BETWEEN  SUEZ  AND  CAIRO. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  129 

Long  after  leaving  Suez  we  see  only  a  sandy  desert,  the 
yellow  soil  quivering  in  the  heated  atmosphere.  It  is  a  pic- 
ture of  desolation.  Not  a  blade  of  grass,  not  a  shrub  or  tree, 
until  by  and  by  we  come  upon  gently  undulating  and  fertile 
soil,  enriched  by  the  annual  deposits  from  the  Nile,  where 
intelligent  cultivation  produces  its  natural  results.  Small 
herds  of  brown  buffaloes  or  Eastern  oxen  are  seen,  and 
peasants  plying  the  irrigating-buckets.  The  pastures  be- 
come alive  with  sheep  and  goats  and  dromedaries.  While 
we  are  approaching  Cairo,  and  are  yet  two  or  three  leagues 
away,  the  dim  outlines  of  the  everlasting  pyramids  are  seen 
through  the  shimmering  haze,  softly  outlined  against  the 
evening  sky.  It  is  impossible  not  to  recall  the  words  of 
the  Humpback,  in  the  Thousand  and  One  Nights,  as  we 
see  the  pyramids  and  glistening  minarets  of  the  Oriental 
city  coming  into  view  ;  "  He  who  hath  not  seen  Cairo  hath 
not  seen  the  world  ;  its  soil  is  golden  ;  its  Nile  is  a  wonder ; 
its  women  are  like  the  black-eyed  virgins  of  Paradise  ;  its 
houses  are  palaces  ;  and  its  air  is  soft,  —  its  odor  surpass- 
ing that  of  aloes-wood  and  cheering  the  heart,  —  and  how 
can  Cairo  be  otherwise,  when  it  is  the  Mother  of  the 
world  } " 

This  ideal  city  of  the  Arabian  Nights  is  very  Oriental, 
very  original,  very  curious.  Its  four  hundred  thousand 
souls  form  a  strange  conglomerate  of  humanity.  In  its 
narrow,  picturesque  streets  one  is  jostled  by  gayly  dressed 
Greeks  and  cunning  Jews,  by  overladen  donkeys  and  by 
sober,  mournful-looking  camels.  One  half  expects  to  meet 
Ali  Baba  and  the  Forty  Thieves,  as  we  still  look  for  Antonio 
and  the  Jew  on  the  Rialto  at  Venice.  Like  Paris,  Cairo  is 
a  city  of  cafes.  During  the  evening  and  far  into  the  night 
crowds  of  individuals  of  every  nationality  are  seen  seated 


130  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

in  groups  before  them  in  the  open  air,  drinking  every  sort 
of  known  Hquid,  but  coffee  takes  precedence  of  all  others. 
In  picturesqueness  of  costume  the  Turk  leads  the  world. 
His  graceful  turban  and  flowing  robes  are  worthy  of  the 
classic  antique,  while  the  rich  contrast  of  colors  which  he 
wears  adds  to  the  striking  effect.  As  he  sits  cross-legged  be- 
fore his  open  bazaar,  or  shop,  smoking  a  long  pipe,  he  looks 
very  wise,  very  learned,  though  in  point  of  fact  there  is  no 
doubt  more  intelligence  under  the  straw  hat  of  a  Yankee 
peddler  than  under  three  average  turbans.  The  dark, 
narrow  lanes  and  endless  zigzag  alleys  have  an  indescrib- 
able interest,  with  their  accumulated  dirt  of  neglect  and  the 
dust  of  a  land  where  rain  is  so  seldom  known.  One  looks 
up  in  passing  at  those  overhanging  balconies,  imagining 
the  fate  of  the  harem-secluded  women  behind  them,  oc- 
casionally catching  stolen  glances  from  curious  eyes  peer- 
ing between  the  lattices. 

Egyptian  porters,  bent  half  double,  are  seen  carrying  on 
their  backs  loads  that  would  stagger  a  brewer's  horse. 
Women,  who  ride  their  horses  and  mules  astride,  are  very 
careful  to  cover  their  faces  from  view,  while  their  eyes 
gleam  out  of  peep-holes.  Other  women,  of  a  humbler  class, 
jostle  us  in  the  streets,  with  little  naked  children  straddling 
one  shoulder,  and  holding  on  to  the  mother's  head  wdth 
both  hands.  People  who  ride  upon  donkeys  require  a  boy 
to  follow  behind  them  with  a  stick  to  belabor  the  poor 
overladen  creatures,  without  which  they  will  not  move  for- 
ward, being  so  trained.  Those  who  drive  through  the 
streets  in  carriages  are  preceded  by  a  gorgeously  draped 
runner  bearing  a  white  wand,  and  who  constantly  cries  to 
clear  the  way.  These  runners  go  as  fast  as  a  horse  usually 
trots,    and  seem  never  to  tire.     The  common    people  lie 


yoURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  131 

down  on  the  sidewalk,  beside  the  road,  in  any  nook  or 
corner,  to  sleep  off  fatigue,  just  as  a  dog  might  do.  Every 
public  square  has  its  fountain,  and  there  are  two  hundred 
in  Cairo. 

The  bazaars  present  a  novel  aspect.  Here  an  old 
bearded  Turk  offers  for  sale  odors,  curious  pastes  and 
essences,  with  kohl  for  shading  about  the  eyes,  and  henna 
dye  for  the  fingers.  Another  has  various  ornaments 
of  sandal  wood,  delicately  wrought  fans,  and  other  trifles. 
His  next-door  neighbor,  whose  quarters  are  only  a  degree 
more  dingy,  offers  pipes,  curiously  made,  with  carved 
amber  mouthpieces,  and  others  with  long,  flexible,  silken 
tubes.  Turbaned  crowds  stroll  leisurely  about.  Now  a 
strong  and  wiry  Bedouin  passes,  leading  his  horse  and 
taking  count  of  everything  with  his  sharp,  black  eyes,  and 
now  a  Nile  boatman.  Yonder  is  an  Abyssinian  slave, 
and  beyond  is  an  Egyptian  trader,  with  here  and  there  a 
Greek  or  a  Maltese.  Amid  it  all  one  feels  curious  as  to 
where  Aladdin's  uncle  may  be  just  now,  with  his  new  lamps 
to  exchange  for  old  ones.  We  will  ascend  the  loftiest 
point  of  this  Arabian  city  to  obtain  a  more  comprehensive 
view. 

The  mosque  of  Mehemet  Ali,  with  its  tapering  minarets, 
overlooks  Cairo,  and  is  itself  a  very  remarkable  and  beauti- 
ful edifice.  This  spacious  building  is  lined  throughout 
wdth  Oriental  alabaster,  the  exterior  being  covered  with 
the  same  costly  material.  It  contains  the  sarcophagus 
of  Mehemet  Ali,  the  most  enlightened  of  modern  rulers, 
before  which  lamps  are  burning  perpetually.  The  interior 
of  this  mosque  is  the  most  effective,  architecturally,  of  any 
temple  in  the  East.  There  is  a  height  and  breadth,  and 
a  solemn  dignity  in  its  aspect,  which  cannot  fail  to  impress 


132  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

every  visitor.  The  exterior  is  much  less  striking,  yet  it  is 
admirably  balanced  and  harmonized.  The  situation  of  the 
mosque  commands  one  of  the  most  interesting  views  that 
can  be  conceived  of.  The  city,  with  its  countless  minarets 
and  domed  mosques,  its  public  buildings,  and  tree-adorned 
squares,  its  section  of  mud-colored  houses  and  terraced 
roofs,  lies  in  the  form  of  a  crescent  at  the  visitor's  feet ; 
while  the  plains  of  Lower  Egypt  stretch  far  away  in  all 
directions.  The  tombs  of  the  Mamelukes  (a  body  of 
mounted  soldiery  of  Egypt  massacred  by  Mehemet  Ali) 
lie  close  at  hand,  full  of  historic  suggestiveness,  and  just 
beyond  stands  the  lonely  column  of  Heliopolis,  four  thou- 
sand years  old,  marking  the  site  of  the  famous  ''  City  of 
the  Sun."  Towards  the  sea  is  the  land  of  Goshen,  where 
the  sons  of  Jacob  fed  their  flocks.  A  little  more  westerly, 
in  the  mvsterious  Nile,  is  seen  the  well-wooded  island  of 
Roda,  quietly  nestling  in  the  broad  bosom  of  the  river. 
Here  is  the  place  where  the  infant  Moses  was  found.  The 
grand  Aqueduct,  with  its  high-reaching  arches,  reminds  us 
of  the  ruins  outside  of  Rome  ;  while  ten  miles  away  are 
seen  the  time-defying  Pyramids,  the  horizon  ending  at  the 
borders  of  the  great  Libyan  Desert.  Far  away  to  the 
southwest  a  forest  of  palms  dimly  marks  the  site  of  dead 
and  buried  Memphis,  where  Joseph  interpreted  a  monarch's 
dream.  It  is  the  twilight  hour  as  we  stand  in  the  open 
area  of  the  mosque,  and  view  the  scene.  The  half-sup- 
pressed hum  of  a  dense  Eastern  population  comes  up  to  us 
from  the  busy,  low-lying  city,  and  a  strange,  sensuous 
flavor  of  sandal  wood,  musk,  and  attar  of  roses  floats  on  the 
golden  haze  of  the  sunset,  indelibly  fixing  the  scene  upon 
the  memory. 

The  Pyramids  of  Gizeh  are  situated  about  three  leagues 


Page  132. 


A  LADY  OF  CAIRO  AS  SEEN    IN    PUBLIC. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  133 

from  Cairo,  and,  after  crossing  the  Nile  by  an  iron  bridge, 
guarded  at  either  end  by  two  bronze  lions,  they  are  reached 
by  a  straight,  level  road,  lined  with  well-trimmed  trees. 
This  road  terminates  at  a  rocky  plateau,  which  serves  to 
give  these  wonderful  structures  an  elevated  site,  as  well  as 
to  form  a  firm,  natural  foundation  for  the  enormous  weight 
of  solid  stone  to  be  supported.  There  is  always  an  im- 
portuning group  of  Arabs  here,  who  live  upon  the  gratuities 
obtained  from  visitors.  They  help  people  to  ascend  and 
descend  the  Pyramids  for  a  fixed  sum,  or,  for  a  few  shillings, 
will  run  up  and  down  them  like  monkeys.  On  the  way  be- 
tween Cairo  and  the  Pyramids,  through  the  long  alley  of 
acacias,  we  pass  hundreds  of  camels  bound  to  the  city, 
laden  with  green  fodder  and  newly  cut  clover  for  stable  use 
in  town.  Carts  are  not  employed  ;  the  backs  of  camels  and 
donkeys  supersede  the  use  of  wheels. 

Nothing  new  can  be  said  about  the  Pyramids,  —  monu- 
ments hoary  with  age  ;  the  statistics  relating  to  them  are 
familiar.  They  simply  show,  standing  there  upon  the 
border  of  the  desert,  a  vast  aggregate  of  labor  performed 
by  compulsion,  and  only  exhibit  the  supreme  folly  of  the 
monarchs,  who  thus  vainly  strove  to  erect  monuments 
which  should  defy  all  time  and  perpetuate  their  fame.  To- 
day not  even  the  names  of  their  founders  are  surely  known. 
There  are  plausible  suppositions  enough  about  them,  each 
writer  upon  the  subject  having  plenty  of  arguments  to  sup- 
port his  special  convictions  ;  but  their  history  rests,  after 
all  is  said,  amid  a  confusion  of  very  thm  speculation.  There 
is  little  genius  evinced  in  the  design  or  execution  of  the 
Pyramids.  Neither  art,  taste,  nor  religion  is  in  any  way 
subserved  by  these  unequalled  follies.  There  is  no  archi- 
tectural excellence  in  them,  though  great  skill  is  evinced 


134  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

in  their  construction,  they  are  merely  enormous  piles  of 
stone.  Some  pronounce  them  marvellous  as  evidences  of 
ancient  greatness  and  power.  True  ;  but  if  it  were  desir- 
able, we  could  build  loftier  and  larger  ones  in  our  day.  As 
they  are  doubtless  over  four  thousand  years  old,  we  admit 
that  they  are  venerable,  and  that  they  are  entitled  to  a 
certain  degree  of  consideration  on  that  account.  In  the 
religious  instinct  which  led  the  Buddhists  to  build,  at  such 
enormous  expense  of  time  and  money,  the  cave-temples  of 
Elephanta,  Ellora,  and  Carlee  ;  in  the  idolatrous  Hindoo 
temples  of  Madura  and  Tanjore,  the  shrines  of  Ceylon,  the 
pagodas  of  China,  and  the  temples  of  Japan,  one  detects 
an  underlying  and  elevating  sentiment,  a  grand  and  rever- 
ential idea,  in  which  there  may  be  more  of  acceptable 
veneration  than  we  can  fully  appreciate  ;  but  in  the  Pyra- 
mids we  have  no  expression  of  devotion,  only  an  embodi- 
ment of  personal  vanity,  which  hesitated  at  nothing  for  its 
gratification,  and  which  proved  a  total  failure. 

The  immensity  of  the  desert  landscape,  and  the  absence 
of  any  object  for  comparison,  make  these  three  pyramids 
seem  smaller  than  they  really  are ;  but  the  actual  height 
of  the  largest,  that  of  Cheops,  is  nearly  five  hundred  feet. 
The  theory  that  they  are  royal  tombs  is  generally  accepted. 
Bunsen  claims  for  Egypt  nearly  seven  thousand  years  of 
civilization  and  prosperity  before  the  building  of  these 
monuments.  We  do  not  often  pause  to  realize  how  little 
of  reliable  history  there  is  extant.  Conjecture  is  not  his- 
tory. If  contemporary  record  so  often  belies  itself,  what 
ought  we  to  consider  veracious  of  that  which  comes  to  us 
through  the  shadowy  distance  of  thousands  of  years  }  Not 
many  hundred  feet  from  the  nearest  pyramid,  and  on  a 
somewhat  lower  plane,   stands  that   colossal  mystery,  the 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  135 

Sphinx.  The  Arabs  call  it  "The  Father  of  Terror,"  and 
it  certainly  has  a  weird  and  unworldly  look.  Its  body  and 
most  of  the  head  is  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock  where  it 
stands,  the  upper  portion  forming  the  head  and  bust  of  a 
human  being,  to  which  is  added  the  body  with  the  paws  of 
an  animal.  The  great  size  of  the  figure  will  be  realized  when 
we  mention  the  fact  that  the  face  alone  is  thirty  feet  long 
and  half  as  wide.  The  body  is  in  a  sitting  posture,  with 
the  paws  extended  forward  some  fifty  feet  or  more.  This 
strange  figure  is  believed  to  be  of  much  greater  antiquity 
than  the  Pyramids,  but  no  one  can  say  how  old  it  really  is. 
Notwithstanding  its  mutilated  condition,  showing  the  fur- 
rows of  time,  the  features  have  still  a  sad,  tranquil  expres- 
sion, telling  of  the  original  dignity  of  the  design. 

From  Cairo  we  take  the  railway  to  Ismailia,  the  little 
town  situated  midway  on  the  Suez  Canal,  between  the  two 
seas,  at  the  Bitter  Lakes,  through  which  the  course  of  the 
canal  runs.  It  is  a  pretty  and  attractive  place,  containing 
four  or  five  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  a  creation  of  the 
last  few  years.  Here  we  observe  gardens  filled  with  choice 
flowers  and  fruit-trees,  vegetation  being  in  its  most  verdant 
dress,  promoted  by  irrigation  from  the  neighboring  fresh- 
water canal.  The  place  has  broad,  neat  streets,  and  a 
capacious  central  square,  ornamented  with  large  and  thrifty 
trees.  It  was  here  that  the  representatives  of  all  nations 
met  on  the  occasion  of  the  inaugurating  ceremony  on  the 
completion  of  De  Lesseps's  canal.  We  take  a  small  mail 
steamer  at  Ismailia,  through  the  western  half  of  the  canal 
to  Port  Said,  the  Mediterranean  terminus  of  the  great 
artificial  river.  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  remembrance  that, 
with  all  our  modern  improvements  and  progressive  ideas, 
the  Egyptians   were   centuries   before  us   in   this   plan  of 


136  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

shortening  the  path  of  commerce  between  the  East  and 
the  West  ;  or,  in  other  words,  of  connecting  the  Red  Sea 
with  that  of  the  Mediterranean  across  the  Isthmus  and 
through  the  Gulf  of  Suez.  The  purpose  was  probably 
never  thoroughly  carried  out  until  De  Lesseps's  consumma- 
tion of  it  as  it  now  exists. 

Port  Said,  like  Suez,  derives  its  only  interest  and  im- 
portance from  the  canal.  It  contains  some  seven  thousand 
inhabitants,  with  a  floating  population  of  two  thousand. 
The  region  round  about  it  is  perfectly  barren,  like  Egypt 
nearly  everywhere  away  from  the  valley  of  the  Nile. 
Through  that  part  of  the  desert  which  we  pass  in  coming 
from  Suez,  one  looks  in  vain  for  any  continuous  sign  of 
vegetation.  The  entire  absence  of  trees  and  forests 
accounts  for  the  lack  also  of  wild  beasts,  excepting  the 
hyena  and  jackal,  which  are  occasionally  met  with.  Here 
and  there,  at  long  intervals,  an  oasis  of  green  is  seen,  like 
a  smile  breaking  over  the  arid  face  of  nature.  Once  or 
twice  we  see  a  cluster  of  palms  beside  a  rude  well,  hedged 
in  by  a  little  patch  of  green  earth,  about  which  a  few 
camels  or  goats  are  quenching  their  thirst  or  cropping  the 
scanty  herbage.  Some  Arabs,  in  picturesque  costumes, 
linger  hard  by.  The  tents  pitched  in  the  background  are 
of  the  same  low,  flat-topped,  camel's-hair  construction  as 
have  been  used  by  these  desert  tribes  for  many  thousands 
of  years. 

Egypt  has  only  her  ruins,  her  antiquity,  her  Bible  asso- 
ciations to  give  her  interest  with  the  world  at  large.  Japan 
is  infinitely  to  be  preferred ;  China  even  rivals  her  in  natu- 
ral advantages  ;  and  India  is  much  more  inviting.  In  look- 
ing at  Egypt  we  must  forget  her  present  and  recall  her 
past.     The  real  Egypt  is  not  the  vast  territory  which  we 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  137 

find  laid  down  by  geographers,  reaching  to  the  Indian 
Ocean,  the  Red  Sea,  and  embracing  equatorial  regions ; 
it  is  and  was,  even  in  the  days  of  the  Pharaohs  and  Ptole- 
mies,  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  from  the  First  Cataract  to 
the  Mediterranean  Sea,  hemmed  in  by  the  Libyan  and 
Arabian  deserts,  whence  there  came  to  the  rest  of  the 
world  so  much  of  art,  science,  and  philosophy.  The  fellah 
or  peasant,  he  who  tills  the  soil,  is  of  a  fine  and  industrious 
race,  well  built,  broad  chested,  and  lithe  of  frame.  He  is 
the  same  figure  that  his  ancestors  were  of  old,  as  repre- 
sented on  the  tombs  and  temples  of  Thebes,  and  on  the 
slabs  one  sees  from  Gizeh,  in  the  museum  of  Cairo.  He 
still  performs  his  work  in  the  nineteenth  century  just  as 
he  did  before  the  days  of  Moses,  scattering  the  seed  and 
irrigating  by  hand.  He  is  little  seen  in  the  cities,  —  his 
place  is  in  the  field,  where  he  lives  and  thrives.  Though 
his  native  land  has  found  such  various  masters  in  Greek 
and  Roman,  Arab  and  Turk,  he  has  never  lost  his  individ- 
uality ;  he  has  ever  been,  and  is  to-day,  the  same  historic 
Egyptian. 

The  next  point  to  which  our  course  will  take  us  is  the 
Island  of  Malta,  which  involves  a  sail  of  a  thousand  miles 
from  Port  Said.  The  city  of  Valetta  is  the  capital,  having 
a  population  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  The  island 
is  an  English  outpost,  similar  to  Gibraltar,  and,  in  a  mili- 
tary point  of  view,  is  about  as  important.  It  is  twenty 
miles  long  and  sixteen  wide,  and  has  held  a  conspicuous 
place  in  historical  records  for  nearly  three  thousand  years. 
The  houses  of  the  city  are  mostly  large  stone  structures, 
and  many  have  notable  architectural  merit,  fronting  thor- 
oughfares of  good  width,  well  paved,  and  lighted  with  gas. 
An  aspect  of    cleanliness  and  freshness  pervades   every- 


138  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

thing.  Many  of  the  streets  run  up  the  steep  hillside  on 
which  the  town  stands,  and  are  flanked  by  broad  stone 
steps  for  foot-passengers,  the  roadway  of  such  streets 
being  quite  inaccessible  for  vehicles.  The  principal  thor- 
oughfare is  the  Strada  Reale,  nearly  a  mile  long,  lined  with 
attractive  stores  and  dwelling-houses,  forming  a  busy  and 
pleasant  boulevard.  The  houses  over  the  stores  are  orna- 
mented by  convenient  iron  balconies,  where  the  citizens 
can  sit  and  enjoy  the  cool  evening  breezes  after  the  hot 
days  that  linger  about  Malta  nearly  all  the  year  round. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  Strada  Reale  we  observe  a  large 
and  imposing  stone  opera-house,  presenting  a  fine  archi- 
tectural aspect,  being  ornamented  with  lofty  Corinthian 
columns,  a  side  portico  and  broad  stone  steps  leading  up 
to  the  vestibule.  A  visit  to  the  Church  of  St.  John  will 
afford  much  enjoyment.  It  was  built  a  little  over  three 
hundred  years  since  by  the  Knights  of  the  Order  of  St. 
John,  w^ho  lavished  fabulous  sums  of  money  upon  its  erec- 
tion and  its  elaborate  ornamentation.  Statuary  and  paint- 
ings of  rare  merit  abound  within  its  walls,  and  gold  and 
silver  ornaments  render  the  work  of  great  aggregate  value. 
The  entire  roof  of  the  church,  which  is  divided  into  zones, 
is  admirably  painted  in  figures  of  such  proportions  as  to 
look  life-size  from  the  floor,  representing  prominent  Scrip- 
tural scenes.  In  this  church  the  Knights  seem  to  have  vied 
with  each  other  in  adding  to  its  ornaments  and  its  treas- 
ures, so  that  the  rich  marbles,  bas-reliefs,  and  mosaics  are 
almost  confusing  in  their  abundance.  The  floor  is  formed 
of  inlaid  marble  slabs,  which  cover  the  last  resting-places 
of  the  most  distinguished  Knights  of  the  famous  Order  of 
St.  John. 

Snow  is  not  known  in  Malta,  but  ice  sometimes  forms 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  139 

during  the  coldest  nights  of  winter,  though  only  in  very- 
thin  layers,  the  climate  being  much  like  that  of  Southern 
Italy.  Fruit  and  ornamental  trees  abound,  and  flowers  at- 
tract the  eye  in  nearly  every  domestic  window.  There  must 
be  a  prevailing  refinement  of  taste  in  this  island  city,  other- 
wise the  abundance  of  flowers  offered  for  sale  in  the  Strada 
Reale  would  not  find  purchasers.  There  is  a  section  near 
the  harbor  named  Casal  Attand  ;  that  is,  the  "  Village  of 
Roses."  Casal  in  Maltese  signifies  village.  There  is  also 
Casal  Luca,  the  "Village  of  Poplars,"  and  still  another, 
Casal  Zebbug,  the  "Village  of  Olives,"  a  natural  and  ap- 
propriate system  of  nomenclature.  It  is  extremely  inter- 
esting to  visit  the  armory  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John,  to 
see  the  rusty  lances,  dimmed  sword-blades,  and  tattered 
battle-flags  which  were  borne  by  the  Crusaders  in  the  days 
of  Saladin  and  Coeur  de  Lion.  A  visit  to  Fort  St.  An- 
gelo,  perched  upon  the  summit  of  the  island,  enables  us 
to  look  far  away  over  the  blue  Mediterranean,  dotted  by 
the  picturesque  maritime  rig  of  these  waters.  It  is  pleas- 
ant to  stroll  about  the  bright,  cleanly  streets  of  Valetta, 
to  chat  with  the  smiling  flower-girls  who  occupy  the  little 
kiosks  (flower-stands)  on  the  corners  of  the  Strada  Reale, 
and  to  enjoy  a  cooling  ice  in  the  gardens  of  the  cafe  adjoin- 
ing the  Knights'  Palace.  But  we  must  not  linger  here, 
whence  we  sail  for  Gibraltar,  a  thousand  miles  away,  at  the 
other  end  of  this  great  inland  sea. 

Arrived  at  the  famous  Rock,  we  are  at  once  impressed 
upon  landing  with  its  military  importance.  Every  other 
person  one  meets  is  in  uniform,  and  cannon  are  as  plenty 
as  at  Woolwich  or  West  Point.  The  Sisfnal  Station  is 
fifteen  hundred  feet  in  height.  The  zigzag  path  leading 
to  the  summit  is  lined  with  wild-flowers,  though  we  come 


140  fOOT-FRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

now  and  again  upon  embrasures,  whence  protrude  grim- 
muzzled  guns.  Further  up  we  stoop  to  gather  some  daph- 
nes and  disclose  a  battery  screened  by  fragrant  and  bloom- 
ing flowers.  From  the  top  the  view  is  magnificent ;  the 
white  wings  of  commerce  which  sprinkle  the  sea  look  like 
sea-gulls,  and  steamships  are  only  discernible  by  the  long 
line  of  smoke  traiUng  behind  them.  Far  below  us,  on  the 
Spanish  side,  lies  the  town,  a  thick  mass  of  yellow,  white, 
and  brown  houses  ;  and  nestling  in  the  bay  is  the  shipping, 
looking  like  toy-boats.  The  mountain  ranges  of  Ceuta 
and  Andalusia,  on  opposite  continents,  mingle  with  soft, 
over-shadowing  clouds,  while  over  our  heads  is  a  glorious 
dome  of  turquoise  blue,  such  as  no  temple  raised  by  the 
hand  of  man  can  imitate. 

We  find  that  England  has  thus  estabhshed  and  maintains 
a  line  of  outposts  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  far  East, 
beginning  at  Gibraltar,  thence  to  Malta,  Aden,  Ceylon,  Pe- 
nang,  Singapore,  and  Hong  Kong,  completely  dominating 
the  South  of  Asia,  and  givinsr  her  a  clear  route  to  her 
extensive  possessions  in  India. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  141 


CHAPTER    X. 

WE  embark  at  Gibraltar  for  Tangier  in  a  sn^all  coast- 
ing steamer,  crossing  the  straits  which  separate 
Europe  from  Africa,  a  distance  of  less  than  a  hundred 
miles.  As  we  draw  away  from  the  Spanish  shore,  the  long 
range  of  Andalusian  mountains  stands  out  compact  and 
clear,  the  snow-white  summits  sparkling  in  the  sunshine. 
On  the  lowlands,  sloping  to  the  water's  edge,  the  fields 
are  robed  in  a  soft  green  attire,  dotted  with  herds  of 
goats  and  cattle.  Old  stone  watch-towers  line  the  shore  at 
regular  intervals,  and  coast-guard  houses  sheltering  squads 
of  soldiers,  for  this  region  is  famous  as  the  resort  of 
smugglers  and  lawless  bands  of  rovers.  On  the  opposite 
coast  of  Africa,  the  Ceuta  range  grows  every  moment 
more  distinct,  the  loftiest  peaks  mantled  with  snow,  like 
the  bleached,  flowing  drapery  of  the  Bedouins.  Still  fur- 
ther on,  dazzling  white  hamlets  enliven  the  Morocco  shore, 
with  deep  green,  tropical  verdure  in  the  background.  Ceuta 
attracts  our  interest,  being  a  Spanish  penal  colony,  which 
is  surrounded  by  jealous,  warlike  floors,  slave-traders,  and 
smugglers. 

Tangier  stands  on  the  western  shore  of  a  shallow  bay, 
upon  a  sloping  hillside,  but  it  is  not  at  all  impressive  as  one 
approaches  it.  The  'windowless  houses  rise  hke  cubical 
blocks  of  masonry  one  above  another,  dominated  by  a  few 
square  towers  which  crown  the  several  mosques  ;  while 
here  and  there  a  consular  flag  floats  lazily  upon  the  air 


142  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

from  a  lofty  pole.  The  rude,  irregular  wall  which  sur- 
rounds the  city  is  seen  stretching  about  it,  pierced  with 
arched  Moorish  spates. 

Oriental  as  Cairo  is,  Tangier  strikes  us  as  even  more  so. 
In  coming  from  Gibraltar,  one  seems,  by  a  single  step  as 
it  were,  to  have  passed  from  civilization  to  barbarism.  There 
is  no  European  quarter  here.  Every  evidence  of  the  prox- 
imity of  the  opposite  continent  disappears  :  the  distance 
might  be  immeasurable.  The  city  has  narrow,  dirty,  twisted 
streets,  through  which  no  vehicle  can  pass,  and  which  are 
scarcely  accessible  for  donkeys,  camels,  and  foot-passengers. 
There  is  not  a  straight  or  level  street  in  all  Tangier.  Veiled 
women,  clad  in  white,  move  about  the  lanes  like  uneasy  spir- 
its ;  men  in  scarlet  turbans  and  striped  robes  lounge  care- 
lessly about,  with  their  bare  heels  sticking  out  of  yellow 
slippers.  Now  we  meet  a  tawny  Arab,  a  straggling  son  of 
the  desert,  his  striped  abba  or  white  bournous  (robe-like 
garments)  hanging  in  graceful  folds  about  his  tall,  straight 
figure  ;  and  now  a  Nubian,  with  only  a  waistcloth  about  his 
body.  The  scene  is  constantly  changing.  There  are  Jews, 
with  dark  blue  vests  and  red  sashes ;  Jewesses,  in  bright 
purple  silks,  and  with  uncovered,  handsome  faces.  Here 
and  there  is  seen  a  Maltese  or  Portuguese  sailor  hiding 
from  punishment  for  some  crime  committed  on  the  oppo- 
site continent.  The  variety  of  races  one  meets  in  these 
contracted  passage-ways  is  indeed  curious,  represented  by 
faces  yellow,  bronze,  white,  and  black.  Add  to  all,  the 
crowd  of  donkey-boys,  camels,  goats,  and  street  pedlers, 
crying,  bleating,  blustering,  and  braying,  and  we  get  an 
idea  of  the  sights  and  sounds  that  constantly  greet  one 
in  this  Moorish  capital. 

The  slave  market  is  situated   just   outside  of  the  city 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  143 

walls,  where  the  sales  take  place  on  the  Sabbath,  which 
is  regarded  as  a  sort  of  holiday.  The  average  price  of  the 
women  and  girls  is  from  fifty  to  sixty  dollars,  according  to 
age  and  good  looks  ;  the  men  vary  much  in  price,  accord-" 
ing  to  the  demand  for  labor.  About  the  large  open  space 
of  the  market  is  a  group  of  Bedouins,  just  arrived  from  the 
interior  with  dried  fruits,  dates,  and  the  like.  Camels  and 
men,  weary  after  the  long  tramp,  are  reclining  upon  the 
ground,  forming  a  picture  only  to  be  seen  on  the  border 
of  the  desert,  and  beneath  the  glow  and  shimmer  of  an 
African  sun. 

We  ascend  the  heights,  which  form  a  background  to  the 
city.  The  sloping  hillside  is  mostly  occupied  by  a  few 
European  merchants  and  the  consuls  of  the  several  na- 
tions. Their  villas  are  very  picturesque,  half  buried  in 
foliage,  and  located  in  an  atmosphere  redolent  with  fruits 
and  flowers.  From  the  fronts  of  their  dwellings  the  view 
is  superb  :  the  broad  piazzas  are  hung  here  and  there  with 
hammocks,  telling  of  luxurious  out-door  life ;  family  groups 
are  seen  taking  their  morning  coffee  on  the  verandas,  and 
the  voices  of  many  children  ring  out,  clear  and  bird-like, 
floating  up  to  the  eyrie  where  we  are  perched  ;  down 
towards  the  shore  lies  brown,  dingy,  dirty  Tangier,  with  its 
mud-colored  groups  of  tiled  roofs,  its  teeming  population, 
its  mouldy  old  walls,  its  Moorish  arched  gates,  and  its  min- 
arets, square  and  dominant.  On  our  way  back  we  again 
pass  through  the  slave  market,  where  a  bevy  of  dancing- 
girls  with  tambourines  and  castanets  look  wistfully  at  us, 
hoping  for  an  audience. 

Nearly  the  last  sound  that  greets  our  ears,  as  we  walk 
over  the  irregular  pavements  and  through  the  narrow  lanes 
toward  the  pier  whence  we  are  to  embark,  is  the  rude  music 


144  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

of  the  snake-charmer  ;  and  the  last  sight  is  that  of  a  pubUc 
story-teller  in  one  of  the  little  squares,  earnestly  gesticu- 
lating before  a  score  of  eager  listeners  while  he  recites  a 
chapter  from  the  ''Thousand  and  One  Nights." 

The  sultan  of  Morocco  is  supreme,  and  holds  the  lives 
and  fortunes  of  his  subjects  at  his  will.  He  is  judge  and 
executioner  of  the  laws,  which  emanate  from  himself.  Taxa- 
tion is  so  heavy  as  to  amount  to  prohibition,  in  many  depart- 
ments of  enterprise  ;  exportation  is  hampered,  agriculture 
so  heavily  loaded  with  taxes  that  it  is  only  pursued  so  far 
as  to  supply  the  bare  necessities  of  life ;  manufacture  is 
just  where  it  was  centuries  ago,  and  is  performed  with  the 
same  primitive  tools  ;  the  printing-press  is  unknown  ;  there 
are  no  books,  save  the  Koran  ;  and  the  language  is  such  a 
mixture  of  tongues,  and  is  so  corrupted,  as  to  hardly  have 
a  distinctive  existence.  The  people  obey  the  local  sheikhs 
(pronounced  sJidH)  ;  above  them  are  the  cadis,  who  control 
provinces  ;  and  still  higher,  are  the  pashas,  who  are  account- 
able only  to  the  sultan. 

Returning  to  Gibraltar  we  take  a  coasting  steamer  along 
the  shore  of  Spain  eastward  to  Malaga,  the  city  of  raisins 
and  sweet  wine.  It  is  commercially  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant cities  of  the  country,  and  was  once  the  capital  of 
an  independent  state.  It  w^as  a  large  and  prosperous  Phoe- 
nician metropolis  centuries  before  the  time  of  Christ  upon 
earth.  The  older  portions  of  the  city  have  all  the  Moor- 
ish peculiarities  of  construction, — narrow  streets,  crooked 
passages,  small  barred  windows,  and  heavy  doors  ;  but  the 
modern  part  of  Malaga  is  characterized  by  broad,  straight 
thoroughfares  and  elegantly  built  houses  of  stone.  This 
is  especially  the  case  with  the  Alameda,  which  has  a  cen- 
tral walk  ornamented  by  flowers  and   shrubs,  and  which 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  145 

is  bordered  with  handsome  almond-trees.  On  either  side  of 
this  broad  promenade  is  a  good  roadway,  flanked  by  houses 
of  pleasing  architectural  effect,  lofty  and  well  relieved. 

There  are  several  fine  open  squares  in  Malaga,  some  of 
which  contain  statues  and  ornamental  trees,  together  with 
well-kept  flower-beds.  The  discovery  not  long  since  of 
Roman  antiquities  in  the  environs  has  created  a  warm 
interest  among  archaeologists.  The  trade  of  the  city  in 
wine  and  dried  fruits  is  large.  Four-fifths  of  the  forty 
thousand  butts  of  sweet  wine  shipped  from  here  are  ex- 
ported to  the  United  States.  The  present  population  is 
about  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand,  made  -up  of  a 
community  of  more  than  average  respectability,  though 
beggars  are  found  to  be  very  annoying  in  the  public  streets. 
The  old  IMoorish  castle  crowning  the  seaward  heights  has 
been  converted  into  a  modern  fortress,  affording  a  charm- 
ing view  from  its  battlements.  In  the  squares  and  streets, 
as  well  as  in  the  market-place,  w^omen  sit  each  morning 
weaving  fresh-cut  flowers  of  rose-buds,  mignonette,  pan- 
sies,  violets,  and  geraniums  into  pretty  little  clusters,  of 
which  they  sell  many  as  button-hole  bouquets.  One  may 
be  sure  there  is  always  a  refined  element  in  the  locality, 
whether  otherwise  visible  or  not,  where  such  an  apprecia- 
tion is  manifested.  The  bull-fight  may  thrive,  the  popu- 
lace may  be  riotous,  education  at  a  very  low  ebb,  and  art 
almost  entirely  neglected  ;  but  when  a  love  of  nature  is 
evinced  in  the  appreciation  of  beautiful  flowers,  there  is 
still  extant  on  the  popular  heart  the  half-effaced  image  of 
its  Maker. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  Spain,  in  the  time  of  Julius 
Caesar,  contained  nearly  eighty  million  inhabitants,  but 
to-day  it  has  less  than  eighteen  million.     By  glancing  at 


146  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

the  map  it  will  be  perceived  that  Spain  is  a  large  country, 
comprising  nearly  the  whole  of  the  southern  peninsula  of 
Europe,  Portugal  being  confined  to  a  very  small  space.  It 
is  about  double  the  size  of  Great  Britain,  and  is  rich  in 
every  known  mineral,  though  poor  enough  in  the  necessary 
energy  and  enterprise  requisite  to  improve  such  possibili- 
ties. In  many  sections  of  the  country  great  natural  fer- 
tility is  apparent,  but  nature  has  to  perform  the  lion's  share 
of  the  work  in  producing  crops.  In  the  environs  of  Malaga, 
and  the  southern  provinces  generally,  there  are  orange, 
lemon,  and  olive  groves  miles  in  extent.  The  Moors  had 
a  poetical  saying  that  this  favored  region  was  dropped 
from  paradise,  but  there  is  more  of  poetry  than  truth  in  the 
legend.  What  is  really  required  is  good  cultivation  and 
skilled  agricultural  enterprise.  These  would  develop  a  very 
different  condition  of  affairs  and  give  to  legitimate  effort 
a  rich  reward.  The  sugar-cane,  the  grape-vine,  the  fig-tree, 
and  the  productive  olive,  mingling  with  the  myrtle  and  the 
laurel,  gratify  the  eye  in  and  about  the  district  of  Malaga ; 
but  as  one  advances  inland,  the  products  become  natural 
or  wild,  cultivation  primitive  and  only  partial,  grain-fields 
being  scarce  and  universal  neglect  the  prominent  feature. 

Granada  is  situated  about  seventy  miles  north  of  Malaga, 
where  set  the  sun  of  Moorish  glory,  but  where  still  exists 
that  embodiment  of  romance,  the  Alhambra.  This  palace- 
fortress  is  the  one  attraction  of  the  district.  It  is  difficult 
to  realize  that  the  Moors  possessed  such  architectural  skill, 
and  that  they  produced  such  splendid  palaces  centuries 
ago.  It  is  also  quite  as  remarkable  that  Time,  the  great 
destroyer,  should  have  spared  for  our  admiration  such 
minute,  lace-like  carvings,  and  such  brilliant  mosaics.  The 
marvel  of  the  architecture  is  its  perfect  harmony ;  there 


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Page  147. 


A  RECEPTION    HALL  IN  THE  ALHAMBRA. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  147 

are  no  jarring  elements  in  this  superb  structure,  no  false 
notes  in  the  grand  anthem  which  it  articulates.  In  visit- 
ing the  Alhambra  one  must  be  assisted  by  both  history 
and  the  imagination ;  he  must  know  something  of  the 
people  who  built  and  beautified  it ;  he  must  be  able  to 
summon  back  the  brave  warriors  and  beautiful  ladies  from 
the  dim  past  to  people  again  these  glorious  halls.  He 
must  call  to  life  the  orange,  the  myrtle,  and  the  myriads  of 
fragrant  flowers  that  bloomed  of  old  in  these  now  silent 
marble  courts.  As  we  pass  from  one  section  to  another, 
from  hall  to  hall,  chamber  to  chamber,  lingering  with  busy 
thoughts  amid  the  faded  glory,  the  very  atmosphere  teems 
with  historical  reminiscences  of  that  most  romantic  period, 
the  mediaeval  days,  when  the  Moors  held  regal  court  in 
Andalusia.  A  lurking  sympathy  steals  over  us  for  that 
exiled  people  who  could  create  and  give  life  to  such  a  ter- 
restrial paradise. 

Alhambra  signifies  ''  Red  Castle,"  and  the  vermilion- 
tinted  structure,  with  its  outlying  towers,  was  thus  appro- 
priately named.  In  the  days  of  its  glory  it  was  half  palace, 
half  fortress ;  indeed,  a  city  in  itself,  capable  of  accommo- 
dating quite  an  army,  and  containing  within  its  walls  an 
immense  cistern  as  a  water  supply,  besides  armories,  store- 
houses, foundry,  and  every  appliance  of  a  large  citadel.  A 
considerable  portion  of  the  far-reaching  walls  is  still  extant. 
Under  good  generalship,  and  properly  manned,  the  place 
must  have  been  nearly  impregnable  to  attack  with  such 
arms  as  were  in  use  at  the  period.  For  a  long  time  after 
the  expulsion  of  the  Moors,  the  Castilian  monarchs  made 
it  their  royal  residence,  and  revelled  within  its  splendid 
walls  ;  but  they  finally  deserted  it.  The  place  was  next 
infested  by  a  lawless  community  of  smugglers  and  banditti, 


148  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

who  made  it  their  headquarters,  whence  to  sally  forth  and 
lay  the  neighboring  plains  under  contribution.  Then  came 
the  French  as  conquerors,  who  expelled  the  lawless  intru- 
ders, themselves,  perhaps,  quite  as  deserving  of  the  title; 
but  they  did  good  work  in  clearing  what  had  become  an 
Augean  stable  of  its  worst  filth  and  partially  restoring  the 
choicest  work  of  the  Moorish  builders.  To-day  the  Span- 
ish government  guards  with  jealous  care  a  monumental 
treasure  which  cannot  be  equalled  in  the  kingdom. 

A  day's  journey  northward  brings  us  to  Cordova,  which 
was  the  capital  of  Moorish  Spain  ten  centuries  ago,  when 
the  city  could  boast  a  million  inhabitants.  Now  it  has 
thirty  thousand.  One  of  the  most  prominent  objects  is 
the  ancient  stone  bridge,  supported  by  broad,  irregular 
arches.  For  two  thousand  years  that  old  bridge  has  bat- 
tled with  the  elements ;  Romans,  Moors,  and  Spaniards 
have  fiercely  contended  at  its  entrances  ;  the  tides  of  victory 
and  of  defeat  have  swept  again  and  again  across  its  road- 
way. Leaning  over  its  stone  barriers  we  watch  the  river 
pursue  its  rapid  course  just  as  it  has  done  for  twenty 
centuries.  Palaces,  temples,  shrines,  may  crumble,  nations 
rise  and  fall,  but  the  Guadalquiver  still  flows  on. 

The  one  great  interest  of  Cordova  is  its  cathedral, 
erected  sixteen  centuries  ago.  Beautiful  are  its  still  re- 
maining hundreds  of  interior  columns,  composed  of  por- 
phyry, jasper,  granite,  alabaster,  verd-antique,  and  marble  of 
various  colors.  Each  of  the  columns  upholds  a  small 
pilaster,  and  between  them  is  a  horseshoe  arch,  no  two  of 
the  columns  being  alike.  They  came  from  Greece,  Rome, 
Constantinople,  Damascus,  and  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem. 
All  the  then  known  world  was  put  under  contribution  to 
furnish    the   twelve    hundred    columns    of    this  wonderful 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  149 

temple.  The  great  mosque  was  changed  into  a  cathedral 
after  the  expulsion  of  the  Arabs,  but  a  large  portion  of 
the  interior  is  untouched  and  remains  as  it  was  when  the 
caliphs  worshipped  here.  Inside  and  out  it  is  gloomy, 
massive,  and  frowning,  forming  one  of  the  most  remarka- 
ble links  still  existing  in  Spain  between  the  remote  past 
and  the  present.  It  appears  to  be  nearly  as  large  upon  the 
ground  as  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  and  contains  fifty  separate 
chapels  within  its  capacious  walls.  It  has,  in  its  passage 
through  the  several  dynasties  of  Roman,  IMoorish,  and 
Spanish  rule,  received  distinctive  architectural  marks  from 
each.  Its  large,  cool  court  of  orange-trees,  centuries  old, 
its  battlemented  walls  and  huge  gateway,  its  famous  foun- 
tains and  its  mingled  palms  and  tall  cypresses,  all  combine 
to  perfect  an  impressive  picture  of  the  dead  and  buried 
thousands  connected  with  its  history. 

We  still  pursue  a  northerly  course.  From  Cordova  to 
Madrid  is  about  three  hundred  miles  by  railway,  carrying 
us  through  some  very  interesting  and  typical  scenery. 
Occasionally  a  gypsy  camp  is  passed,  pitched  near  our 
route,  presenting  the  usual  domestic  groups,  mingled  with 
animals,  covered  carts,  lazy  men  stretched  on  the  green- 
sward, and  busy  women  cooking  the  evening  meal.  Long 
strings  of  mules,  with  widespread  panniers,  are  seen  wind- 
ing across  the  plain,  sometimes  in  charge  of  a  woman  clad 
in  gaudy  colors,  while  her  lazy  husband  thrums  a  guitar 
as  he  lies  across  one  of  the  mules.  Towards  evening 
groups  of  peasants,  male  and  female,  with  farming  tools 
in  their  hands,  are  seen  winding  their  steps  towards  some 
hamlet  after  the  day's  labor.  Arched  stone  bridges,  old 
and  moss-grown,  come  into  view,  spanning  small  water- 
courses on  their  way  from   the  mountains  to  join   more 


150  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

pretentious  streams.  Elevated  spots  show  us  the  ruins  of 
old  stone  towers,  once  a  part  of  some  feudal  stronghold, 
but  the  eye  seeks  in  vain  for  well-wooded  slopes,  thrifty 
groves,  or  cultivated  fields  with  promising  crops.  While 
the  more  practical  traveller  realizes  a  sense  of  disappoint- 
ment at  the  paucity  of  thrift  and  vegetation,  the  poet  and 
the  artist  will  find  enough  to  delight  the  eye  and  to  fire 
the  imagination  in  Spain.  The  ever-transparent  atmos- 
phere, and  the  lovely  cloud-effects  that  prevail,  are  accom- 
paniments which  will  hallow  the  desolate  regions  for  the 
artist  at  all  seasons.  The  poet  has  only  to  wander  among 
the  former  haunts  of  the  Moors  and  view  the  crumbling 
monuments  of  their  gorgeous,  luxurious,  and  artistic  taste, 
to  be  equally  absorbed  and  inspired. 

When  we  arrive  at  Madrid,  the  first  query  which  sug- 
gests itself  is,  why  Charles  V.  should  have  made  his 
capital  on  this  spot.  True,  it  is  in  about  the  geographical 
centre  of  Spain,  but  it  is  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  by  arid 
plains,  and  has  an  adjacent  river,  so-called,  but  which  in 
America  would  be  known  as  a  dry  gulch.  It  is  difficult 
to  see  what  possible  benefit  can  be  derived  from  a  water- 
less river.  Like  the  Arno  at  Florence,  it  seems  troubled 
with  a  chronic  thirst.  In  short,  the  Manzanares  has  the 
form  of  a  river  without  the  circulation.  In  the  days  of 
Charles  II.  its  dry  bed  was  turned  into  a  sort  of  race- 
course and  drive-way,  but  since  the  completion  of  the 
magnificent  Prado  it  has  been  abandoned  even  for  this 
purpose.  Eight  or  nine  hundred  years  ago  Madrid  was  a 
fortified  outpost  of  Toledo  —  ''  imperial  "  Toledo.  Though 
it  is  situated  between  two  and  three  thousand  feet  above 
sea-level,  it  does  not  seem  to  possess  the  advantages 
usually  following  such  position,  the  climate  being  scorch- 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  151 

ingly  hot  in  summer  and  piercingly  cold  in  winter.  So 
that  one  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  in  point  of  climate, 
as  well  as  in  location,  the  Spanish  capital  is  a  mistake. 

Ha\'ing  been  established  when  the  furor  for  cathedral- 
building  had  passed,  the  city  has  none  within  its  borders, 
though  there  is  no  lack  of  modern  churches.  Notwith- 
standing these  criticisms,  Madrid  is  a  large  and  fine  city, 
with  some  four  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  ;  not  notice- 
able, like  Genoa,  Rome,  or  Florence,  for  palaces  and 
ancient  monuments,  but  it  is  well  laid  out,  the  streets 
broad  and  nicely  paved,  while  numerous  open  squares 
ornament  the  several  sections.  Some  of  these  are  filled 
with  attractive  shrubbery  and  ornamental  trees,  as  well  as 
statuary.  Among  the  latter  are  representations  of  Murillo, 
Philip  III.,  Cervantes,  Lope  de  Vega,  Philip  V.,  Calderon, 
and  others.  The  finest  statue  in  the  city  is  that  of 
Philip  IV.,  representing  that  monarch  on  horseback,  the 
animal  in  a  prancing  position.  This  is  a  wonderfully  life- 
like bronze,  designed  by  Velasquez.  It  forms  the  centre 
of  the  Plaza  del  Oriente,  or  square  in  front  of  the  royal 
palace,  from  which  it  is  separated,  however,  by  a  broad 
thoroughfare.  According  to  history,  Galileo  showed  the 
artist  how  the  horse  could  be  sustained  in  its  remarkable 
position,  the  whole  weight  of  the  rider  and  the  animal 
resting  on  the  hind  legs. 

On  the  Prado,  the  grand  public  drive  of  the  citizens, 
there  are  fine  marble  statues,  and  groups  combined  v/ith 
very  elegant  fountains.  The  Puerto  del  Sol,  that  is,  the 
''Gate  of  the  Sun,"  is  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  city, 
and  is  always  full  of  busy  life.  A  dozen  large  streets  and 
boulevards  radiate  from  this  area,  where  the  lines  of  street- 
cars also  meet  and  diverge.     The  fashionable  idlers  of  the 


152  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

town  hold  high  carnival  in  the  Puerto  del  Sol,  day  and 
night.  One  is  half  dazed  by  the  whirl  of  carriages,  the  rush 
of  pedestrians,  the  passing  of  military  bands  with  marching 
regiments,  and  the  clatter  of  horses'  feet  caused  by  dash- 
ing equestrians.  This  plaza  or  square  is  a  scene  of  inces- 
sant movement  from  early  morn  until  midnight.  Like  Paris 
and  Vienna,  Madrid  does  not  seem  to  thoroughly  awaken 
until  evening,  the  tide  of  life  becoming  most  active  under 
the  glare  of  gas-light.  The  Prado,  just  referred  to,  is  to 
Madrid  what  the  Champs  Elysees  and  the  Bois  de  Boulogne 
are  to  Paris,  a  splendid  avenue,  through  the  centre  of 
which  runs  a  walk  and  garden  similar  to  the  Unter  den 
Linden  of  Berlin,  or  Commonwealth  Avenue,  Boston,  save 
that  it  is  more  extensive  than  either  of  these  last  named. 
The  Prado  nearly  joins  the  Public  Garden  of  Madrid,  on 
the  borders  of  the  city  proper,  in  which  there  are  also  fine 
carriage-drives,  roadways  for  equestrians,  many  delightful 
shaded  walks,  and  paths  lined  with  choice  flowers.  On 
Sundays  and  holidays  these  grounds  are  thronged  with 
citizens  and  their  families  for  out-of-door  enjoyment ;  sev- 
eral military  bands  distributed  about  the  grounds  add  to  the 
attraction. 

The  royal  palace  is  located  upon  a  slightly  elevated  site, 
and  is  so  isolated  as  to  give  full  effect  to  its  appearance. 
It  is  the  only  building  of  a  remarkable  character,  archi- 
tecturally speaking,  in  the  city ;  being  the  largest,  and  one 
of  the  finest,  royal  palaces  in  Europe.  It  belongs  to  the 
Tuscan  style,  and  cost  between  five  and  six  million  dollars 
a  hundred  years  ago.  The  base  is  of  granite ;  but  the 
upper  portion  is  built  of  a  fine  white  stone,  very  closely 
resembling  marble. 

In  its  splendid  art  collection  of  the  Museo,  the  city  has 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  153 

a  treasure  only  equalled  by  the  Louvre  at  Paris  and  the 
galleries  of  Florence.  To  artists  it  is  the  one  attraction  of 
Madrid,  and  is  principally  composed  of  works  by  Spanish 
masters,  though  also  containing  many  other  fine  works  of 
art.  Here  we  may  see  forty  examples  by  the  hand  of 
Murillo,  sixty-four  from  Velasquez,  sixty  by  Rubens,  twenty- 
five  from  Paul  Veronese,  thirty-four  by  Tintoretto,  and  many 
by  Andrea  del  Sarto,  Titian,  Vandyke,  and  others  of  similar 
artistic  fame.  It  is  believed  that  Murillo  appears  at  his  best 
in  this  collection.  Being  a  native  of  Seville,  he  is  seen,  as 
it  were,  at  home ;  and  artists  declare  that  his  works  here 
show  more  power  and  expression  than  anywhere  else.  So 
we  go  to  Antwerp  to  appreciate  Rubens,  though  we  find 
him  so  fully  represented  elsewhere.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  Velasquez  as  of  Murillo  ;  he  also  was  at  home  here,  and 
cannot  be  fairly,  or  rather  fully,  judged  outside  of  the 
Madrid  gallery. 

When  the  French  were  masters  in  Spain,  they  proved  to 
be  terrible  agents  of  destruction  ;  leaving  marks  of  their 
devastation  everywhere.  Not  content  with  stealing  many 
unequalled  works  of  art,  they  often  wantonly  destroyed 
what  they  could  not  conveniently  take  away  with  them. 
In  the  tomb  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  at  Grenada,  they 
pried  open  the  royal  coffins,  in  search  of  treasure  ;  at 
Seville  they  broke  open  the  coffin  of  Murillo,  and  scat- 
tered his  ashes  to  the  wind  ;  Marshal  Soult  treated  the 
ashes  of  Cervantes  in  a  similar  manner.  War  desecrates 
all  things,  human  and  divine,  but  sometimes  becomes  a 
Nemesis  (goddess  of  retribution),  dispensing  poetical  jus- 
tice ;  as  when  Waterloo  caused  the  return  to  Spain  of  a 
portion  of  her  despoiled  art -treasures. 

The  bull-ring  of  the  capital  will  seat  eighteen  thousand 


154  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

spectators.  Here,  on  each  Sunday  of  the  season,  exhibi- 
tions are  given  to  enthusiastic  crowds,  the  entertainments 
always  being  honored  by  the  presence  of  the  state  digni- 
taries, and  members  of  the  royal  family.  The  worst  result 
of  such  cruelty  is  that  it  infects  the  beholders  with  a  like 
spirit.  We  all  know  how  cruel  the  English  became  during 
the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth.  Sunday  is  always  a  gala- 
day  in  Madrid,  though  the  attendance  upon  early  mass  is 
very  general,  at  least  among  the  women.  It  is  here,  as  at 
Paris  and  other  European  capitals,  the  chosen  day  for  mili- 
tary parades,  horse  races,  and  the  bull  fight.  Most  of  the 
shops  are  open,  and  do  a  profitable  business ;  especially  is 
this  the  case  with  the  liquor  and  cigar  stores  and  the  cafes. 
The  lottery-ticket  vendor  makes  double  the  usual  day's  sales 
on  this  occasion,  and  the  itinerant  gamblers,  with  their  little 
tables,  have  crowds  about  them  wherever  they  locate.  The 
gayly  dressed  flower-girls,  with  dainty  little  baskets  rich  in 
color  and  captivating  in  fragrance,  press  button-hole  bou- 
quets on  the  pedestrians,  while  men  perambulate  the  streets 
with  cakes  and  candies  displayed  in  open  wooden  boxes 
hung  about  their  necks.  In  short,  Sunday  is  made  a  holi- 
day, when  grandees  and  beggars  come  forth  like  marching 
regiments  into  the  Puerto  del  Sol.  The  Prado  and  public 
gardens  are  crowded  with  gayly  dressed  people,  children, 
and  nurses,  the  costumes  of  the  latter  being  of  the  most 
theatrical  character.  No  one  who  can  walk  stays  within 
doors  on  Sunday  at  Madrid. 

The  cars  will  take  us  forty  miles  hence  to  Toledo,  where 
the  rule  of  the  Moor  is  seen  in  foot-prints  which  time  has 
not  yet  obliterated.  It  seems  like  realizing  a  mediaeval 
dream  to  walk  the  narrow,  sombre  streets  of  this  famous 
old  capital.     Strangely  steep,  winding,  and  irregular,  they 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  I  55 

are  !  The  reason  for  constructing  them  thus  was  doubtless 
that  they  might  be  the  more  easily  defended  when  attacked 
by  an  enemy.  In  the  days  of  her  prime,  Toledo  saw  many 
battles,  both  inside  and  outside  of  her  gates.  One  can 
touch  the  houses  of  these  streets,  in  many  instances,  on 
both  sides  at  the  same  time  by  extending  the  arms.  There 
are  scores  of  deserted  buildings,  securely  locked  up,  the 
heavy  gates  studded  with  great  iron  nails,  while  the  lower 
windows  are  closely  iron-grated.  Some  of  them  are  open 
and  unguarded,  having  paved  entrances  or  court-yards,  with 
galleries  around  them,  upon  which  the  rooms  open.  Every- 
thing bespeaks  their  Moorish  origin.  Some  of  these  houses, 
which  were  palaces  once,  are  now  used  as  storehouses,  some 
as  carpenter-shops,  some  occupied  as  manufactories,  while 
the  appearance  of  all  shows  them  to  have  been  designed  for 
a  very  different  use. 

The  whole  valley  which  Toledo  overlooks,  now  lying  so 
dead  and  silent,  once  teemed  with  a  dense  population,  and 
sent  forth  armies,  and  fought  great  battles,  in  the  days  of 
the  Goths.  The  cathedral  of  this  old  city  is  visited  by 
architects  from  all  parts  of  Europe  and  America,  solely  for 
the  purpose  of  professional  study,  it  being  one  of  the  finest 
examples  of  the  Gothic  order  in  existence,  while  the  rich- 
ness of  its  ornamentation  and  its  artistic  wealth,  not  to  men- 
tion in  detail  its  gold  and  silver  plate,  make  it  the  rival  of 
most  cathedrals  in  the  world,  with  the  possible  exception 
of  that  at  Burgos.  Its  size  is  vast,  with  a  tower  reaching 
three  hundred  feet  heavenward,  the  interior  having  five 
great  aisles,  divided  by  over  eighty  aspiring  columns.  It 
is  said  to  contain  more  stained-glass  windows  than  any 
other  cathedral  that  was  ever  built.  The  high  altar,  a 
marvel  of  splendid  workmanship  and  minute  detail,  is  yet 


156  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

a  little  confusing  from  the  myriads  of  single  statues,  groups, 
columns,  and  ornaments  generally. 

Toledo  stands  upon  the  boldest  promontory  of  the  Tagus, 
a  dead  and  virtually  deserted  city.  Coveted  by  various  con- 
querors, she  has  been  besieged  more  than  twenty  times  ; 
so  that  the  river  beneath  her  walls  has  often  flowed  red 
with  human  gore  where  it  is  spanned  by  the  graceful  bridge 
of  Alcantara.  Phoenicians,  Romans,  Goths,  Moors,  and 
Christians  have  all  fought  for,  and  at  different  times  have 
possessed  the  place.  Only  the  skeleton  of  a  once  great 
and  thriving  capital  remains.  It  has  no  commerce,  and 
but  one  industry,  the  manufacture  of  arms  and  sword- 
blades,  which  gives  occupation  to  a  couple  of  hundred 
souls  —  hardly  more.  The  coming  and  going  of  visitors 
from  other  lands  gives  it  a  little  flutter  of  daily  life,  — 
like  a  fitful  candle,  blazing  up  for  a  moment,  and  then 
dying  down  in  the  socket,  making  darkness  only  the  more 
intense  by  the  contrast.  The  one  sword  factory  is  found 
to  be  of  little  interest,  though  we  are  told  that  better 
blades  are  manufactured  here  to-day  than  of  old. 

In  looking  at  the  present  condition  of  this  once  famous 
seat  of  industry  and  power,  recalling  her  arts,  manufac- 
tures, and  commerce,  it  must  be  remembered  that  outside 
of  the  immediate  walls,  which  formed  the  citadel  of  a  large 
and  extended  population,  were  over  forty  thriving  towns 
and  villages  in  the  valley  of  the  Tagus,  under  the  shadow 
of  her  wing.  These  communities  and  their  homes  have 
all  disappeared,  pastures  and  fields  of  grain  covering  their 
dust  from  the  eyes  of  the  curious  traveller.  The  narrow, 
silent,  doleful  streets  of  the  old  city,  with  its  overhanging 
roofs  and  yawning  arches,  leave  a  sad  memory  on  the  brain 
as  we  turn  thoughtfully  away  from  its  crumbling  walls  and 
picturesque,  antique  Moorish  gates. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  157 

Thirty-five  miles  from  Madrid  by  rail  will  bring  us  to  the 
Escurial,  which  the  Spaniards  call  the  eighth  wonder  of  the 
world.  This  vast  pile  of  stone  buildings  is  more  than  three 
hundred  years  in  age,  and  nearly  a  mile  in  circumference, 
—  tomb,  palace,  cathedral,  monastery,  all  in  one.  It  was 
the  royal  home  of  that  bigoted  monarch  Philip  II.,  but 
is  now  only  a  show  place,  so  to  speak,  of  no  present  use 
except  as  an  historical  link  and  a  royal  tomb.  One  hall, 
over  two  hundred  feet  long  and  sixty  wide,  contains  nearly 
seventy  thousand  bound  volumes,  all  arranged  with  their 
backs  to  the  wall  so  that  the  titles  cannot  be  read,  a  plan 
which  one  would  say  was  the  device  of  some  madman.  The 
shelves,  divided  into  sections  and  ornamental  cases,  are  made 
of  ebony,  cedar,  orange,  and  other  choice  woods.  What  pos- 
sible historic  wealth  may  here  lie  concealed,  what  noble 
thoughts  and  minds  embalmed  !  In  the  domestic  or  dwell- 
ing portion  of  the  Escurial,  the  apartments  are  very  finely 
inlaid  with  various  woods,  besides  containing  some  delicate 
and  antique  furniture  of  great  beauty.  A  few  cabinet  pic- 
tures are  seen  upon  the  walls,  and  one  or  two  large  apart- 
ments are  hung  with  tapestry,  which,  though  centuries  old, 
is  as  fresh  as  when  it  was  first  made.  It  might  have  come 
from  the  manufactory  during  this  present  year ;  for  it  cer- 
tainly could  not  look  brighter  or  more  perfect. 

The  grounds  surrounding  the  structure  are  laid  out  in 
pleasant  gardens,  where  fountains,  flowers,  and  a  few  infe- 
rior marble  statues  serve  for  external  finish.  On  the  out- 
side, high  up  above  the  broadest  portion  of  the  dome,  was 
placed  the  famous  plate  of  gold,  an  inch  thick  and  contain- 
ing some  ten  square  feet  of  surface,  forming  a  monument  of 
the  bravado  and  extravagance  of  Philip  IL,  who  put  it  there 
in  reply  to  the  assertion  of  his  enemies  that  he  had  finan- 


158  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

cially  ruined  himself  in  building  so  costly  a  palace  as  the 
Escurial. 

Burgos  is  situated  about  two  hundred  miles  north  of 
Madrid,  and  is  reached  by  railway.  Here  the  first  impres- 
sion upon  the  stranger  is  that  of  quaintness.  It  is  a  damp, 
cold,  dead-and-alive  place,  with  but  three  monuments 
worthy  of  our  attention.  These  are  its  unrivalled  cathe- 
dral, its  Carthusian  monastery,  and  its  convent  of  Huelgas  ; 
and  yet  there  is  a  tinge  of  the  romantic  Castilian  period 
about  its  musty  old  streets  and  archways  scarcely  equalled 
elsewhere  in  Spain,  and  which  one  would  not  like  to  miss. 
It  is  very  amusing,  on  arriving  in  such  a  place,  to  start 
off  in  the  early  morning  without  any  fixed  purpose  as  to 
destination,  and  wander  through  unknown  streets,  lanes, 
and  archways,  coming  out  upon  a  broad  square,  —  the 
Plaza  Mayor,  for  instance,  which  contains  a  bronze  statue 
of  Charles  III.  ;  thence  to  another  with  a  tall  stone  foun- 
tain in  its  centre,  where  a  motley  group  of  women  and 
young  girls  are  filling  their  jars  with  water ;  and  again, 
through  a  dull  dark  lane,  coming  upon  the  lofty  gate  of 
Santa  Maria,  erected  by  Charles  V.,  and  ornamented  with 
statues  of  the  Cid  (a  noted  knight  and  warrior),  Fernando 
Gonzales  (famous  Spanish  general),  and  the  emperor. 
Strolling  on,  we  presently  come  to  another  open  square, 
full  of  busy  groups  of  women  and  donkeys,  gathered  about 
piles  of  produce.  It  is  the  vegetable  market,  always  a 
favorite  morning  resort  in  every  new  locality.  How  ani- 
mated are  the  eager  sellers  and  buyers  !  What  a  study  is 
afforded  by  their  bright,  expressive  faces  ;  how  gay  the 
varied  colors  of  dress  and  of  vegetables  ;  how  ringing  the 
Babel  of  tongues  and  the  braying  of  donkeys  ! 

The  cathedral,  which  the  Emperor  Charles  V  said  ought 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  159 

to  be  placed  under  glass,  renders  the  town  a  famous  resort 
of  travellers,  being  one  of  the  largest,  finest,  and  most 
richly  endowed  of  all  the  Spanish  churches.  This  lofty 
structure,  like  that  at  Antwerp,  is  situated  behind  a  cluster 
of  inferior  buildings,  so  as  greatly  to  detract  from  its 
external  effect,  though  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
Arlanzon  a  favorable  view  is  obtained  of  its  open-work 
spires  and  its  tall  corrugated  roof.  The  columns  and  high 
arches  of  the  interior  are  a  maze  of  architectural  beauty 
in  pure  Gothic.  In  all  these  Spanish  churches  the  choir 
completely  blocks  up  the  centre  of  the  interior,  so  that  no 
comprehensive  view  can  be  had.  Above  the  space  between 
the  altar  and  the  choir  rises  a  cupola,  which,  in  elaborate 
ornamentation  of  bas-reliefs,  statues,  small  columns,  arches, 
and  sculptured  figures,  exceeds  anything  of  the  sort  in  this 
country  so  famous  for  its  cathedrals.  The  hundred  and 
more  carved  seats  of  the  choir  are  in  choice  walnut,  and 
form  a  great  curiosity  as  an  example  of  artistic  wood- 
carvdng,  presenting  human  figures,  vines,  fantastic  animals, 
and  foliage.  The  several  chapels  are  as  large  as  ordinary 
churches,  while  in  the  centre  of  each  lies  buried  a  bishop 
or  a  prince.  The  great  number  of  statues  and  paintings 
scattered  through  the  interior  of  the  cathedral  are  almost 
as  confusing  as  the  pinnacled  and  statue-covered  roof  of 
the  Milan  cathedral,  whose  beauty  disappears  amid  accum- 
ulation. In  a  side  apartment  the  attendant  will  show  us 
many  curious  relics,  among  them  the  well-known  effigy  of 
Christ  on  the  Cross,  which  devout  believers  say  was  car\^ed 
by  Nicodemus  just  after  he  had  buried  the  Saviour. 

Our  course    is   still   northward.     From    Burs-os   to   San 

o 

Sebastian  by  rail  is  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  As  we 
leave    the    ancient   town,  memory  is   busy  for  a  moment 


l6o  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

recalling  its  legends  and  history.  We  remember  that  cen- 
turies ago  a  knight  of  Castile,  Diego  Porcelos,  had  a  lovely 
daughter  named  Sulla  Bella,  whom  he  gave  as  a  bride  to  a 
German  cavalier,  and  together  they  founded  this  place  and 
fortified  it.  They  called  it  Burg,  a  fortified  place,  hence 
Burgos.  We  recall  the  Cid  and  his  gallant  war-horse, 
Baveica,  we  think  of  the  richly  endowed  cathedral,  and 
the  old  monastery,  where  rest  Juan  II.  and  Isabella  of 
Portugal  in  their  elaborately  carved  alabaster  tomb.  But 
gradually  these  memories  fade  away  as  we  awaken  to  new 
and  present  surroundings  while  rushing  along  at  railway 
speed.  Sparkling  watercourses,  with  here  and  there  a 
fall,  give  power  to  some  rickety  old  stone  mill  and  add 
variety  to  the  scene.  On  the  not  far-off  hills  are  castles, 
border  fortresses  in  ruins,  whose  gray  towers  have  borne 
witness  to  the  conflicts  of  armor-clad  warriors  in  the  days 
of  Castilian  knighthood  and  glory.  What  interest  hangs 
about  these  rude  battlements  !  In  looking  back  upon  the 
ancient  days  it  is  fortunate  that  the  mellowing  influence  of 
time  dims  the  vision,  and  we  see  as  through  a  softening 
twilight ;  otherwise  we  should  behold  such  harshness  as 
would  embitter  all.  The  olden  time,  like  the  landscape, 
appears  best  in  the  purple  distance. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  country  since  we  left  Malaga 
in  the  south  has  been  rather  disappointing,  and  the  rural 
appearance  on  this  beautiful  trip  from  Burgos  to  San  Se- 
bastian is  therefore  the  more  heartily  appreciated.  It 
should  be  called  the  garden  of  Spain,  the  well-watered 
valleys  and  plains  being  spread  with  a  carpet  of  exquisite 
verdure.  In  the  far  distance  one  detects  snow-clad  moun- 
tains, which  in  fact  are  not  out  of  sight  during  the  entire 
journey.     Thousands    of   acres    are    covered    by  the   vine 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  l6l 

from  the  product  of  which  comes  our  sherry  wine.  It  is 
impossible  not  to  feel  a  sense  of  elation  amid  the  delight- 
ful scenery  and  while  breathing  the  genial  air.  Nature 
seems  to  be  in  her  merriest  mood,  clothing  everything  in 
poetic  attire,  rendering  more  than  beautiful  the  gray  ham- 
lets on  the  hillsides,  over  which  rise  square  bell-towers, 
about  which  the  red-tiled  cottages  cluster.  Outside  of 
these  are  seen  family  groups,  some  sewing,  some  spinning, 
while  children  gleefully  tumble  about  and  play  in  the  invit- 
ing grass. 

San  Sebastian  is  a  somewhat  famous  watering-place, 
situated  on  the  boisterous  Bay  of  Biscay,  and  drawing  its 
patronage  largely  from  Madrid,  though  of  late  many  Eng- 
lish people  have  resorted  thither.  It  is  a  small  city,  but 
the  thriftiest  and  most  business-like,  when  its  size  is  con- 
sidered, to  be  found  in  the  borders  of  Spain.  The  place 
was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire  when  captured  from  the 
French  by  the  English,  a  piece  of  sanguinary  work  which 
cost  the  latter  five  thousand  lives  !  It  was  on  this  occasion 
that  Wellington  is  reported  to  have  said,  ''  The  next  most 
dreadful  thing  to  a  battle  lost  is  a  battle  won." 

After  leaving  San  Sebastian  our  first  stopping-place  is 
Bayonne ;  that  is,  ''Good  Port."  It  is  a  city  of  some 
thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  situated  at  the  junction  of 
the  Adour  and  Nive  rivers,  in  the  Lower  Pyrenees.  Here 
again  the  cathedral  forms  the  principal  attraction  to 
travellers.  Though  very  plain  and  with  little  architectural 
merit,  still  it  is  very  old,  gray  and  crumbling,  plainly 
telling  the  story  of  its  age.  The  city  has  considerable 
commerce  by  the  river,  both  in  steam  and  sailing  vessels, 
and  exports  a  very  respectable  amount  of  domestic  prod- 
uce.     Here  we  see  the  palace  where  Catharine  de  Medici 


1 62  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

and  the  Duke  of  Alva  planned  the  terrible  massacre  of 
the  Huguenots  of  France.  A  large,  well-arranged  public 
garden  begins  just  at  the  city  gate  and  extends  along  the 
left  bank  of  the  Adour,  and  there  are  many  pleasant  drives 
in  the  environs. 

From  here  we  take  the  cars  for  Bordeaux,  France,  a 
distance  of  over  a  hundred  miles,  the  road  running  mostly 
through  what  seems  to  be  an  interminable  pine  forest. 

In  leaving  Spain  we  pause  for  a  moment  to  contrast  her 
past  and  her  present.  In  the  sixteenth  century  she  was 
the  most  powerful  nation  in  the  world.  In  art  she  held 
the  foremost  position.  Murillo,  Velasquez,  and  Ribiera 
were  her  honored  sons  ;  in  literature  she  was  represented 
by  Cervantes,  Lope  de  Vega,  and  Calderon  ;  while  of  dis- 
coverers and  conquerors  she  sent  forth  Columbus,  Cortez, 
and  Pizarro.  The  banners  of  Castile  and  Aragon  floated 
alike  on  the  Pacific  and  the  Indian  oceans.  Her  warriors 
were  brave  and  adventurous,  her  soldiers  inherited  the 
gallantry  of  the  followers  of  Charles  V.  She  was  the 
court  of  Europe,  the  acknowledged  leader  of  chivalry. 
How  rapid  has  been  her  decadence  !  As  in  the  plenitude 
of  her  power  she  was  ambitious,  cruel,  and  perfidious,  so 
has  the  measure  which  she  meted  to  others  been  in  turn 
accorded  to  herself,  until  to-day  there  are  none  so  lowly  as 
to  do.  her  homage. 

Bordeaux  is  reckoned  the  third  city  in  France  as  to 
its  commercial  importance.  The  form  of  the  town  is  that 
of  a  crescent  extending  along  the  shore  of  the  Garonne, 
which  here  forms  a  broad  and  navigable  harbor,  always 
well  filled  with  foreign  and  domestic  shipping,  though  it 
is  sixty  miles  from  the  sea.  There  are  many  interesting 
Roman  antiquities  and  monuments  to  be  seen  in  and  about 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  163 

the  city,  venerable  with  the  wear  and  tear  of  eighteen 
centuries.  The  pubHc  buildings  are  commanding  in  their 
architectural  effect,  and  are  many  of  them  adorned  with 
sculpture.  The  most  ancient  part  of  the  town,  like  nearly 
all  others  we  visit  in  Europe,  has  narrow  and  crooked 
streets,  but  the  modern  portion  is  open,  airy,  and  well 
arranged  for  business  and  domestic  comfort.  The  Grand 
Theatre  is  a  remarkable  piece  of  effective  architecture, 
with  its  noble  Ionic  columns,  and  was  built  a  little  more 
than  a  century  since  by  Louis  XVI. 

The  distance  from  Bordeaux  to  Paris  is  about  four  hun- 
dred miles.  The  route  passes  all  the  way  through  a  charm- 
ing and  highly  cultivated  country.  The  well-prepared 
fields  are  green  with  varied  crops,  showing  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  Flocks  of  sheep,  tended  by  shepherdesses 
with  tall  Norman  caps  of  white  linen  and  picturesque  bright 
colored  dresses,  enliven  the  landscape.  These  industrious 
women  are  seen  knitting  as  they  watch  their  charge. 
Others  are  driving  oxen  while  men  hold  the  plow.  Gangs 
of  men  and  w^omen  together  in  long  rows  are  preparing 
the  ground  for  the  seed,  and  all  seem  cheerful  and  happy. 
The  small  railroad  stations  recall  those  of  India  between 
Tuticorin  and  Madras,  where  the  surroundings  are  beauti- 
fied by  fragrant  flower-gardens,  their  bland,  odorous  breath 
acting  like  a  charm  upon  the  senses  amid  the  noise  and 
bustle  of  arrival  and  departure.  Now  and  again  as  we 
progress  the  pointed  architecture  of  some  picturesque 
chateau  presents  itself  among  the  clustering  trees,  with 
its  bright  verdant  lawn  and  neat  outlying  buildings,  and 
so  we  speed  swiftly  on  until  by  and  by  we  glide  into  the 
large  station  at  Paris. 


1 64  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 


CHAPTER    XL 

IN  passing  through  Paris  we  shall  pause  to  present  a  few 
sketches  representative  of  the  great  French  capital. 
It  is  the  gayest  metropolis  of  Europe,  the  spot  where  the 
traveller  is  most  inclined  to  linger,  and  whose  siren  voice 
is  most  dangerous  to  the  inexperienced.  Its  attractions 
are  innumerable,  combining  unequalled  educational  advan- 
tages in  art,  literature,  and  the  learned  professions,  together 
with  unlimited  temptations  to  frivolity.  Here  are  offered 
daily,  without  money  and  without  price,  lectures  upon  all 
themes  known  to  science,  free  schools  in  all  departments 
of  learning,  free  art  museums  and  free  art  galleries,  such 
as  can  hardly  be  excelled  in  the  world. 

The  finest  view  to  be  had  in  the  city  may  be  enjoyed  by 
taking  one's  stand  in  the  Tuileries  Garden  and  looking 
straight  across  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  to  the  far-away 
Arc  de  Triomphe.  Here  is  a  clear  view,  in  the  very  heart 
of  Paris,  two  miles  long,  over  the  entire  length  of  the 
Champs  Elysees.  The  only  thing  to  impede  the  sight  in 
the  least  degree  is  the  grand  old  column  of  Luxor,  which 
stands  in  the  middle  of  the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  but 
which  is  of  only  needle-like  proportions  in  so  comprehen- 
sive a  view  as  we  speak  of.  This  is  the  finest  square  of 
the  city,  and  indeed  we  may  go  further  and  say  the  finest 
in  all  Europe.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  spacious 
buildings  occupied  by  the  Ministry  of  the  Marine,  on  the 
south  by  the  Seine,  here  crossed  by  the  Pont  des   Inva- 


yOURNEYINGS   IN  iMANY  LANDS.  165 

lides,  and  having  the  Tuileries  on  the  east  and  the  Champs 
Elysees  on  the  west.  As  this  is  the  first  square  in  Europe, 
so  is  the  Champs  Elysees,  which  opens  out  of  it,  the 
ofrandest  boulevard  in  the  world.  It  is  divided  into  three 
alleys,  liberally  planted  with  trees,  the  principal  entrance 
being  marked  by  the  celebrated  sculptures  known  as  the 
*'  Horses  of  Marly,"  standing  like  sentinels,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  broad  carriage-way.  This  is  the  road  leading 
to  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  the  favorite  pleasure-drive  of  the 
Parisians,  where  also  may  be  found  the  fine  race-grounds 
and  the  Jardin  d' Acclimation,  with  its  superb  and  un- 
rivalled collection  of  wild  animals  and  rare  birds. 

Sunday  is  a  weekly  recurring  carnival  here,  on  which 
occasions  the  races  and  the  military  reviews  take  place, 
and  all  Paris  seeks  to  amuse  itself  by  open  air  pleasures. 
Fifty  thousand  people  and  more  throng  the  Champs  Ely- 
sees  ;  the  toy  and  refreshment  booths  drive  a  lucrative 
business ;  the  numerous  goat  and  pony  wagons  for  chil- 
dren are  in  constant  use.  One  little  turn-out  is  particularly 
noticeable,  consisting  of  four  well-trained  Newfoundland 
dogs,  elegantly  harnessed  and  attended  by  a  couple  of 
servants  in  livery,  a  boy  of  ten  or  twelve  years  holding  the 
lines  from  his  seat  in  the  light  and  graceful  little  vehicle. 
Merry  young  misses  drive  their  ribbon-decked  hoops  with 
special  relish,  and  roguish  boys  spin  their  tops  with  equal 
zeal.  Clouds  of  toy-balloons,  of  various  colors  and  sizes, 
flash  high  above  the  heads  of  itinerant  vendors,  while  the 
sparkling  fountains  throw  up  softly  musical  jets  every- 
where. Soldiers  off  duty,  strolling  idly  about,  dot  the 
scene  with  their  various  uniforms,  their  shining  helmets, 
and  elaborate  gold  lace.  The  busy  road-way  is  crowded 
by  a  thousand   turnouts,  drawn   by  high-stepping   horses. 


1 66  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

Delighted  youths,  of  both  sexes,  mount  wooden  horses  in 
the  merry-go-rounds  and  enjoy  their  ride  at  a  cost  of  a 
couple  of  cents.  Lofty  aerial  cars,  upon  huge  revolving 
wheels,  afford  as  much  delight  and  more  risk  to  other 
youths.  Punch  and  Judy,  and  the  man  with  the  air-gun 
and  conspicuous  mark,  are  also  present.  A  performing 
monkey  divides  the  honors  and  pennies  wdth  the  rest 
of  the  entertainers.  Not  far  away  an  acrobat,  in  flesh- 
colored  tights,  lies  upon  the  carpeted  ground  and  tosses  a 
lad,  dressed  in  spangled  thin  clothes,  into  the  air,  catching 
him  upon  his  foot  again  as  he  comes  down,  and  twirling 
him  so  rapidly  that  the  boy  becomes  invisible.  Such  is 
a  glimpse  of  the  Champs  Elysees  on  Sunday. 

Strangers  in  Paris  do  not  forget  to  visit  the  Expiatory 
Chapel,  erected  by  Louis  the  Eighteenth  to  the  memory 
of  Louis  the  Sixteenth,  Marie  Antoinette,  and  other  vic- 
tims of  the  Revolution,  which  took  place  about  a  cen- 
tury since.  Historic  recollections  crowd  upon  us  as  we 
stand  within  this  small  but  beautiful  chapel.  Time  has 
softened  the  sternness  of  judgment  relating  to  the  king 
and  queen ;  and  we  all  pause  to  admire  their  bearing  in  ad- 
versity, but  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  ''  that  nothing  in 
their  life  so  well  became  them  as  the  manner  of  their 
leaving  it."  The  queen  was  remarkable  for  her  dignity  of 
person,  which  she  loved  to  increase  by  the  accessories 
of  ornament,  until,  as  a  writer  of  that  period  tells  us,  cov- 
ered with  diamonds  and  jDrecious  stones,  she  was  literally 
a  thing  of  light.  But  Marie  Antoinette,  in  the  dungeons 
of  the  Conciergerie,  in  her  widow's  cap  and  patched  black 
dress,  was  worthier  of  love  and  veneration  than  when  she 
blazed  as  the  royal  star  of  Versailles. 

The  flower  market  of  this  large  capital  is  ever  sugges- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  167 

tive  and  interesting.  The  women,  of  all  ages,  who  bring 
these  floral  gems  to  the  city,  exhibit  a  taste  in  their 
arrangement  which  would  be  of  value  to  a  professional 
artist.  One  may  detect  a  living  poem  in  each  little  depart- 
ment. The  principal  square  devoted  to  this  purpose  is 
situated  just  over  the  Pont  Neuf  and  borders  the  Seine. 
The  market  is  changed  so  as  to  be  held  for  two  days  of 
each  week  under  the  shadow  of  the  Madeleine,  in  the 
Place  de  la  Madeleine,  the  noblest  of  modern  Christian 
temples  in  its  chaste  architecture.  As  we  come  down 
from  the  Rue  Scribe,  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  we  see 
vehicles,  with  liveried  attendants,  pause  while  the  fair 
occupants  purchase  a  cluster  of  favorite  flowers  ;  dainty 
beauties  on  foot  come  hither  to  go  away  laden  with  fra- 
grant gems,  while  well-dressed  men  deck  their  button- 
holes with  a  bit  of  color  and  fragrance  combined.  Here  is 
a  white-frocked  butcher  selecting  a  full-blown  pot  of  pan- 
sies,  and  here  a  sad-faced  woman,  in  widow's  weeds,  takes 
away  a  wreath  of  immortelles — to-night  it  will  deck  a  tomb 
in  the  cemetery  of  Pere  la  Chaise.  This  giddy  and  ner- 
vous fellow,  who  is  full  of  smiles,  takes  away  a  wedding 
wreath — price  is  no  object  to  him.  Yonder  is  a  pale- 
faced  shop-girl — what  sunny  yet  half-sad  features  she  has  ! 
She  must  perhaps  forego  her  dinner  in  order  to  possess 
that  pot  of  mignonette,  but  she  trips  lightly  away  with  it 
in  a  happy  mood. 

The  most  interesting  church  here  is  that  of  Notre  Dame, 
whose  massive  towers  greet  the  eye  in  every  comprehen- 
sive view  of  the  city.  The  present  structure  is  probably 
not  over  seven  hundred  years  old,  but  it  stands  upon  a 
site  successively  occupied  by  a  Pagan  temple  and  a  Chris- 
tian church  of  the  time  of  the  early  kings.     The  present 


1 68  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

building  presents  one  of  the  most  perfect  examples  of 
Gothic  architecture  extant.  It  contains  about  forty  sepa- 
rate chapels.  Here  the  late  Emperor  and  Empress  were 
married,  in  January,  1853,  just  fifty-two  years  after  the 
coronation  of  the  first  Napoleon  in  the  same  place. 

A  little  way  from  Notre  Dame,  upon  a  street  situated 
behind  it  and  near  the  Pont  St.  Louis,  is  the  Morgue,  or 
dead-house  of  Paris,  at  all  times  open  to  the  public,  where 
are  exposed  the  corpses  of  unknown  persons  who  have  met 
their  death  in  the  streets  or  the  Seine  by  violence  or 
drowning.  These  bodies  remain  here  three  days  for  the  pur- 
pose of  identification.  If  not  recognized  and  claimed  by 
friends,  they  are  then  buried  at  the  expense  of  the  city,  or 
consigned  to  the  dissecting-tables.  There  are  brought  here 
during  the  year,  the  officer  in  charge  will  tell  us,  over  three 
hundred  bodies,  two-thirds  of  whom  are  men,  and  about 
one-third  women.  A  large  number  of  the  latter  are  known 
to  be  suicides,  and  are  recovered  from  the  waters  of  the 
Seine,  close  at  hand. 

The  daily  scenes  occurring  in  the  gardens  of  the  Tuile- 
ries,  which  open  from  the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  are  char- 
acteristic. The  spacious  grounds,  adorned  with  stately 
trees,  fountains,  tiny  lakes,  statues,  and  flowers,  the  latter 
kept  fresh  and  green  by  artificial  means  nearly  all  the  year 
round,  form  an  ever-varying  attraction.  Hundreds  of 
merry  children  enliven  every  nook  and  corner  by  their 
careless,  happy  voices.  The  gayest  of  promenaders  of  both 
sexes  throng  the  broad,  smooth  paths  in  the  after  part  of 
the  day.  Round  the  fountains  the  sparrows,  as  tame  as 
the  pigeons  of  St.  Mark  at  Venice,  light  upon  one's  arms 
and  shoulders,  convinced  that  the  only  legitimate  business 
of  the  world  is  to  supply  them  with  cake  and  biscuit.    Now 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  169 

there  break  upon  the  ear  the  strains  of  a  full  military  band 
posted  among  the  trees,  and  brilliant  music  adds  its  charm  to 
the  attractive  scene.  This  is  one  side  of  the  picture ;  we 
may  perhaps  with  profit  to  ourselves  turn  to  the  other. 
The  same  bell  that  rings  out  the  marriage  peal,  tolls  forth 
the  funeral  knell ;  sweet  flowers  that  deck  the  bridal  altar, 
are  also  brought  to  lay  upon  the  tomb.  We  have  not  far 
to  go  in  seeking  for  the  shadow  of  the  Tuileries  gardens. 
Misery  in  all  its  varied  forms  is  to  be  found  in  the  Fau- 
bourg St.  Antoine,  partially  hidden  by  almost  transparent 
screens  from  the  naked  eye.  Crime,  sickness,  starvation, 
death,  all  are  within  no  great  distance  of  these  beautiful  re- 
sorts. Dark  streets  where  thieves  and  outcasts  slink  away 
from  the  light  of  day  like  hunted  animals  ;  where  one  reads 
hunger  and  want  in  silent  human  faces ;  where  men  are 
met  whose  villanous  expression  only  too  plainly  betrays 
their  criminal  nature. 

All  strangers  make  a  visit  to  Pere  la  Chaise,  the  historic 
burial-ground  of  the  French  capital.  Its  two  hundred 
acres  of  monuments,  tombs,  and  costly  sepulchres  present 
only  a  sad  and  sombre  aspect  to  the  eye,  as  unlike  to 
Greenwood,  Mount  Auburn,  or  Forest  Hills,  as  narrow 
streets  and  brick  houses  are  unlike  the  green  and  open 
fields  of  the  country.  One  reads  upon  the  tombs,  how- 
ever, the  familiar  historic  names  with  vivid  interest,  such 
as  Rossini,  Moliere,  Scribe,  Alfred  de  Musset,  Talma, 
Arago,  and  others.  One  remarkable  tomb  attracts  us ;  it 
is  that  of  Abelard  and  Heloise,  upon  which  some  hand 
has  just  placed  fresh  flowers.  One  cannot  but  respect 
the  sentiment  which  would  perpetuate  the  memory  of  this 
hero  and  heroine  of  seven  hundred  years  ago.  There  are 
sixty  thousand  tombs,  mausoleums,  and  memorial  stones 


I/O  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

within   these  grounds,  but  none   equal  this  one  tomb  for 
interest. 

We  must  not  forget  to  visit  the  Cluny  Museum,  situated 
on  the  Rue  des  Mathurins,  near  the  Boulevard  St.  Michel. 
The  remarkable  collection  of  historic  relics  of  the  Middle 
Ages  and  subsequent  period,  consisting  of  glass,  porcelain, 
tapestry,  carvings,  weapons,  and  domestic  utensils,  are 
tangible  history  of  great  interest.  The  building  itself  in 
which  these  treasures  are  exhibited  is  a  curiosity  five  or  six 
hundred  years  in  age,  near  the  very  extensive  remains  of 
Julian's  palace.  With  one  exception  this  is  the  only  visi- 
ble structure  of  the  Roman  period  that  still  exists  in  the 
city  of  Paris.  The  other  is  the  Roman  Amphitheatre, 
situated  in  the  Rue  Monge.  Here,  not  long  since,  coins 
were  found,  bearing  the  date  of  the  time  of  Adrian. 

On  the  Rue  Rivoli,  opposite  the  Tuileries  gardens,  stands 
a  bronze  equestrian  statue,  erected  within  the  last  few 
years,  representing  Joan  of  Arc.  As  we  look  upon  it,  the 
mind  reverts  to  the  romantic  story  of  the  maid  of  Dom- 
remy,  which  this  tardy  act  of  justice  commemorates. 
A  conclave  of  bishops  sent  her  to  the  stake  at  Rouen 
—  an  act  as  unwarrantable  as  the  hanging  of  innocent 
women  for  witches  in  the  early  days  of  New  England. 
History  repeats  itself,  and  the  victims  of  one  generation 
become  the  idols  of  the  next.  We  like  best  to  believe 
that  this  simple  maid  was  inspired  to  do  the  work  which 
she  so  well  performed.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  she  began 
to  devote  herself  to  liberate  her  country  from  the  English 
invaders,  selling  the  very  bed  she  slept  upon  to  aid  in  the 
equipment  of  soldiers  for  the  field.  Joan  was  but  eighteen 
years  old  when  she  appeared  before  Charles  VH.  and  told 
him  that  she  was  impelled  by  Heaven  to  raise  the  siege 


yoVRiVEvwGS  /.v  ^fA^;y  lands.  171 

of  Orleans,  and  to  conduct  him  to  Rheims  to  be  crowned. 
She  was  young  and  beautiful;  the  king  believed  in  her; 
the  soldiers  thought  she  was  inspired,  and  so  followed  her 
to  victory.  City  after  city  surrendered  to  her,  battle  after 
battle  was  won  under  her  leadership,  until  Charles  was  in- 
deed crowned  at  Rheims  ;  but,  through  the  influence  of  her 
Eno-lish  enemies,  the  brave  and  modest  maid  was  con- 
demned  as  a  sorceress  and  burned  at  the  stake  ! 

It  is  foreigners,  not  Parisians,  who  support  the  splendid 
jewelry  and  other  fancy  stores  of  the  boulevards,  as  well 
as  the  thousand  extravagant  hotels  of  the  metropolis. 
Paris  is  the  mart  of  the  world  for  fancy  goods.  It  is  the 
policy  of  the  government  to  establish  and  freely  maintain 
such  attractions  as  shall  draw  to  the  city  strangers  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  who  come  and  empty  their  well- 
filled  purses  into  the  pockets  of  French  merchants.  But 
let  us  not  forget  that  the  best  means  of  education  are  free 
to  all,  the  poorest  scholar  being  welcome  to  the  unrivalled 
libraries  and  archives,  as  well  as  to  the  splendid  advantages 
of  the  art  galleries.  Scientific  lectures  and  the  rarest 
books  upon  special  themes  are  free  to  him,  while  every 
facility  which  the  government  can  control  is  liberally  offered 
to  the  humble  but  ambitious  student  of  science  and  of  art. 

We  start  for  Lyons  by  the  way  of  P'ontainebleau,  which 
is  situated  about  forty  miles  from  Paris.  The  Palace  was 
founded  over  seven  hundred  years  ago,  and  has  been  kept 
during  all  these  years  in  perfect  condition,  each  new  mon- 
arch adding  to  its  embellishments,  until  it  forms  to-day  a 
magnificent  museum  of  art.  There  are  over  eight  hundred 
apartments,  all  of  which  are  sumptuously  decorated  and  fur- 
nished. Here  was  signed  the  revocation  Edict  of  Nantes  ; 
from  here  was  announced  the  divorce  of  Josephine ;   and 


1/2  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

here  Napoleon  the  First  signed  his  abdication.  The  Pal- 
ace  is  surrounded  by  beautiful  and  extensive  gardens, 
small  lakes,  and  fountains.  The  famous  forest  of  Fon- 
tainebleau  is  of  more  than  passing  interest ;  there  is  no 
such  wooded  and  shady  drive  elsewhere  in  the  world  as  is 
afforded  by  the  admirably  kept  roads  that  intersect  the 
sixty-four  square  miles  covered  by  this  forest,  and  in  the 
midst  of  which  is  the  town.  The  inhabitants  number 
twelve  thousand,  added  to  which  there  is  here  a  military 
station  with  barracks  for  about  a  thousand  men.  Until 
within  a  few  years  the  forest  was  the  resort  of  persons 
from  the  capital  who  had  affairs  to  settle  with  sword 
or  pistol,  but  police  arrangements  have  put  an  end  to 
this  business. 

Lyons  has  a  population  of  half  a  million,  and  ranks  as 
the  second  city  of  France  in  that  respect.  The  manu- 
facture of  silk  is  the  great  industry  here,  and  everybody 
seems  to  be  in  some  way  interested  in  forwarding  this 
business.  There  are  between  forty  and  fifty  thousand  silk- 
looms  actively  employed.  In  the  extent  of  its  silk  trade 
it  is  the  first  city  in  the  world.  Being  located  at  the  con- 
fluence of  two  important  rivers,  the  Rhone  and  the  Saone, 
the  city  has  almost  the  advantage  of  a  maritime  port, 
besides  which  it  has  ample  railroad  connections.  After 
a  day's  rest  at  Lyons,  we  will  proceed  on  our  journey  by 
rail  to  the  city  of  Marseilles,  the  first  commercial  port  of 
the  Mediterranean. 

The  importance  of  Marseilles  as  a  business  centre  can 
hardly  be  overestimated,  its  harbor  having  safe  accommo- 
dations for  over  a  thousand  ships  at  the  same  time.  The 
flags  of  Italy,  Portugal,  England,  and  Am.erica  mingle  with 
those  of  the  far  East  at  her  quays.     In  the  breezy  streets 


yoURNEYINGS  W  MANY  LANDS.  1 73 

of  the  town  surrounding  the  harbor,  we  meet  Turks,  Ital- 
ians, Spaniards,  British  tars,  and  the  queerly  dressed  sailors 
of  the  Grecian  Archipelago,  while  a  Babel  of  tongues  rings 
upon  the  ear.  This  is  the  principal  port  for  embarkation 
to  reach  Corsica,  Genoa,  Leghorn,  Constantinople,  and 
Smyrna,  the  harbor  being  the  finest  in  France,  and  it  has 
been  prominent  in  its  commercial  connections  for  fully 
two  thousand  years.  Marseilles,  with  a  population  of 
four  hundred  thousand,  is  remarkable  for  the  number  and 
excellence  of  its  public  institutions,  among  which  is  a 
royal  exchange,  a  national  observatory,  an  academy  of 
sciences,  a  public  library,  a  school  of  design,  a  deaf 
and  dumb  institute,  a  museum  of  paintings  and  anti- 
quities, etc.  The  Palace  of  Longchamps,  standing  upon 
one  of  the  most  prominent  spots  in  the  city,  is  a  museum, 
geological  school,  library,  and  picture  gallery  combined. 
It  is  a  superb  structure  architecturally,  and  cost  over 
seven  millions  of  dollars. 

Overlooking  the  city  of  Marseilles  is  the  hill  of  Notre 
Dame  de  la  Garde,  a  lofty  eminence,  which  seen  from  the 
town  appears  to  be  hung  in  the  very  clouds.  Skilful  en- 
gineering has  made  a  winding  road  to  the  apex  accessible 
for  vehicles.  Once  reached,  this  lofty  spot  affords  one 
of  the  most  delightful  and  comprehensive  views  on  the 
continent,  embracing  a  wide  extent  of  sea  and  land.  Im- 
mediately beneath  the  visitor's  feet  lies  the  city,  nearly 
encircled  by  vine-clad  hills,  interspersed  by  chateaux,  Swiss 
and  English  cottages,  all  assuming  Lilliputian  proportions. 
The  winding  chff-road  looks  like  a  silver  thread,  and  the 
blue  Mediterranean,  dotted  here  and  there  with  sails  and 
steamships,  glistens  in  the  warm,  soft  sunshine.  But  the 
bird's-eye  view  of  the  city  is  a  marvel  in  its  perfection  and 


174  FOOT'PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

comprehensiveness.  This  hill  is  named  after  the  singular 
Roman  Catholic  chapel  upon  its  cloud-capped  summit.  It 
is  visible  for  many  leagues  at  sea,  and  is  the  subject  of 
mysterious  veneration  to  sailors  who  navigate  these  inland 
waters.  A  large  number  of  curious  articles  from  all  parts 
of  the  world  contributed  by  believing  sailors  are  to  be  seen 
within  its  walls,  in  the  form  of  rich  samples  of  ores,  shells, 
corals,  and  savage  weapons  from  the  far-away  South  Sea 
Islands,  forming  a  kind  of  religious  museum. 

From  Marseilles  we  take  the  railway  route  to  Nice,  a 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  forty  miles.  This  world- 
renowned  sanitary  resort  is  most  delightfully  situated  at 
the  base  of  an  amphitheatre  of  hills,  which  are  decked  with 
villas,  gardens,  orange  and  olive  groves.  Roses  bloom 
out  of  doors  all  the  year  round,  and  fruit  ripens  on  the 
trees  in  January.  Nice  has  a  population  of  about  sixty- 
five  thousand.  The  foot-hills  of  the  Alpine  range  come 
so  close  to  the  town  as  to  cut  off  all  the  view  inland,  but 
the  opposite  side  is  open  to  the  far-reaching  Mediter- 
ranean, which  curves  gracefully  in  crescent  form  to  make 
the  beautiful  bay  of  Nice.  Lying  so  very  close  to  the 
Italian  frontier,  the  people  are  as  much  of  that  nationality 
as  of  France,  and  both  languages  are  spoken.  The  old 
portion  of  the  town  is  Roman  in  many  of  its  character- 
istics, and  here  those  former  masters  of  the  world  had  an 
important  naval  station  in  the  days  of  Augustus.  Dirty  as 
this  portion  of  Nice  is,  one  lingers  here  a  little  to  study 
the  quaint  architecture,  and  the  aspects  of  humble  life. 
The  peculiarities  of  dress,  habits,  and  general  appearance 
of  the  people  differ  materially  from  other  continental  towns. 
Half-clad,  bare-footed  boys  and  girls  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
years  of  age  abound,  many  of  them  with  such  beauty  of 


yoURNEYlNGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 75 

face  and  form  as  to  make  us  sigh  for  the  possibilities  of 
their  young  lives  probably  never  to  be  fulfilled.  Under 
favorable  auspices  what  a  happy  future  might  fall  to  their 
share !  A  year  or  two  more  of  wretched  associations,  idle 
habits,  and  want  of  proper  food  and  clothing  will  age  them 
terribly.  What  a  serious  social  problem  is  presented  by 
such  lives  ! 

All  strangers  who  come  hither  visit  Cimies,  about  three 
miles  from  Nice,  upon  a  lofty  hillside,  where  there  are 
some  remarkable  Roman  ruins,  among  which  is  a  spacious 
amphitheatre,  once  capable  of  seating  eight  or  ten  thou- 
sand spectators.  This  place,  like  the  neighboring  Convent 
of  Cinieres,  is  more  than  a  thousand  years  old,  and  so  well 
built  that  the  intervening  centuries  have  not  been  able  to 
disintegrate  its  masonry  to  any  great  extent.  It  is  upon  a 
Sunday  afternoon  that  we  visit  the  amphitheatre  and  con- 
vent. The  Franciscan  monks,  who  alone  inhabit  the  ter- 
race, seem  to  be  rather  a  jolly  set  of  men,  notwithstanding 
their  coarse  dress,  shaven  heads,  and  bare  feet.  The  Sab- 
bath does  not  interfere  with  their  game  of  tennis,  which  a 
group  of  them  pursue  with  great  earnestness  in  the  pleas- 
ant old  garden  of  the  monastery,  now  and  then  disputing 
a  little  rudely  as  to  the  conduct  of  the  game.  One  of  the 
brethren  is  our  guide ;  he  explains  intelligently  what  we 
desire  to  understand,  and  gives  us  a  drink  of  water  out  of 
the  old  well  from  which  the  Romans  drank  so  many  hun- 
dred years  ago,  and  which  he  assures  us  has  never  been 
known  to  fail  of  yielding  pure  water. 

Mentone,  the  border  town  between  France  and  Italy,  is 
situated  fifteen  miles  from  Nice.  We  pass  through  it  on 
the  route  to  Genoa.  A  deep  ravine  forms  the  dividing 
line  between  the  two  countries,  spanned  by  the  bridge  of  St. 


176  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

Louis.  Mentone  is  a  favorite  resort  for  persons  suffering 
with  pulmonary  affections,  and  has  about  ten  thousand  in- 
habitants. It  is  characterized  by  very  beautiful  scenery 
bordering  the  great  classic  sea,  and  lying  at  the  base  of 
the  Maritime  Alps.  Adjoining  the  town  is  the  principality 
of  Monaco,  an  independent  state  covering  an  area  of  less 
than  fifty  square  miles.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  inde- 
pendence of  this  spot  has  been  respected  by  Europe  for  so 
many  years,  and  that  it  is  to-day  ruled  over  by  a  descend- 
ant of  the  house  of  Gr'rnaldi,  by  whom  the  principality  was 
founded  in  the  tenth  century.  The  castle,  which  forms 
also  the  palace  of  the  Prince  of  Monaco,  is  situated  on  a 
rocky  promontory  overlooking  the  sea  and  the  wonderful 
coast  scenery  between  Nice  and  Mentone.  Here  the 
prince  maintains  a  battalion  of  soldiers  who  perform  guard 
duty  and  keep  up  the  semblance  of  military  authority.  His 
subjects  are  supposed  to  number  about  three  thousand. 
To  sustain  his  princely  state  he  must  have  a  revenue  other 
than  could  be  derived  from  taxation  of  so  small  a  popula- 
tion, and  the  main  source  of  his  income  is  very  well  known. 
The  dominion  of  the  prince  is  now  the  only  legalized  gam- 
bling spot  in  Europe,  and  from  the  permit  thus  granted  he 
receives  an  annual  payment  of  half  a  million  dollars. 

Monte  Carlo,  the  headquarters  of  the  gambling  frater- 
nity, lies  within  a  mile  of  the  palace  on  the  shore  line. 
The  beautiful  spot  where  the  "  Casino  "  (gambling  saloon) 
is  situated  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  which  can  be 
conceived  of,  overlooking  from  a  considerable  height  the 
Mediterranean  Sea.  To  the  extraordinary  beauties  ac- 
corded by  nature  man  has  added  his  best  efforts,  lavishing 
money  to  produce  unequalled  attractions.  There  is  here 
an  elegant  hotel,  brilliant  cafe,  attractive  saloons,  delightful 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 77 

gardens,  floral  bowers,  shooting-galleries,  in  short,  nearly 
every  possible  device  to  fascinate  and  occupy  the  visitor. 
The  roads  over  which  we  drive  in  this  vicinity  are  full  of 
interest,  besides  the  delightful  views  which  greet  us  on 
every  hand.  Wayside  shrines  to  the  Virgin  are  seen  at 
every  cross-road,  and  upon  every  hillside  we  meet  scores 
of  priests  ;  the  little  church-bells  are  ringing  incessantly  ; 
the  roads  are  thronged  with  beggars ;  the  beautiful-faced 
but  ragged  children  attract  us  by  their  bright  eyes  and 
dark  complexions,  just  touched  with  a  soft  rose-tint.  We 
are  surprised  at  the  multiplicity  of  donkeys,  their  bodies 
hidden  by  big  loads  of  merchandise  ;  we  observe  with  inter- 
est those  handsome  milk-white  oxen,  with  wide-spreading 
horns  ;  we  inhale  the  fragrance  of  the  orange  groves,  and 
remember  that  we  are  in  Italy. 

About  a  hundred  miles  from  St.  Mauro,  the  border  town 
after  crossing  the  bridge  of  St.  Louis,  will  take  us  by  the 
Corniche  road  to  Genoa.  This  ancient  capital  rises  in 
terrace  form,  presenting  the  aspect  of  an  amphitheatre 
whose  base  is  the  water's  edge,  while  the  city  is  situated 
between  the  two  lofty  hills  of  Carignano  on  the  east  and 
St.  Beni2:no  on  the  west.  The  harbor  of  Genoa  is  semi- 
circular  in  form,  nearly  a  mile  across,  and  is  protected  by 
two  substantial  piers,  on  one  of  which  is  a  lighthouse 
three  hundred  feet  in  heiccht.  From  the  seaward  end  of 
the  lighthouse  pier  we  have  a  fine  view  of  the  town,  the 
slope  being  covered  with  palaces,  churches,  hotels,  gardens, 
forts,  and  public  buildings.  The  arsenal,  the  prison,  the 
custom-house,  and  government  warehouses  all  cluster  about 
the  wharv^es,  where  great  business  activity  centres  at  all 
times.  The  older  part  of  the  city  consists  of  narrow  and 
confusing   lanes,    accessible    only  to    foot-passengers.     In 


178  POOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

the  olden  days,  when  this  city  was  first  laid  out  after  the 
fashion  of  the  times,  it  was  crowded  with  fortified  lines, 
and  perched  upon  elevations  to  aid  in  resisting  the  at- 
tack of  an  invading  enemy.  The  newer  portions  present 
broad,  accessible  thoroughfares,  with  one  or  two  elegant 
boulevards. 

The  number  of  marble  palaces  in  Genoa  is  really  sur- 
prising, but  they  are  built  in  streets  so  narrow  that  their 
elaborate  fronts  lose  architectural  effect.  These  were  not 
all  occupied  by  the  class  termed  the  nobility,  but  were 
often  the  homes  of  merchant  princes.  Many  of  these 
structures  are  now  vacant  or  occupied  for  business  pur- 
poses. Splendid  marble  corridors  and  mosaic  floors,  with 
halls  opening  from  grand  marble  staircases,  seem  ill- 
adapted  to  the  purposes  of  common  trade.  A  few  of  these 
structures  belong  to  people  whose  condition  enables  them 
to  retain  them  as  dwellings ;  others  have  been  purchased 
by  the  government  and  are  occupied  as  public  offices  ;  and 
still  others  are  hotels.  This  city  was  the  birthplace  of 
Columbus,  the  ''  Great  Genoese  Pilot,"  who  first  showed 
the  way  across  the  then  trackless  ocean  to  a  western  world. 
Almost  the  first  object  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  trav- 
eller on  emerging  from  the  railroad  depot  is  the  statue  of 
Columbus  in  a  broad  open  space.  It  was  erected  so  late 
as  1862,  and  stands  upon  a  pedestal  ornamented  with  ships' 
prows.  At  the  feet  of  the  statue  kneels  the  figure  of 
America,  the  whole  monument  being  of  white  marble,  and 
surrounded  by  allegorical  figures  in  a  sitting  posture,  rep- 
resenting Religion,  Geography,  Force,  and  Wisdom. 

There  are  many  noble  public  institutions  in  Genoa, 
noticeable  among  which  is  the  general  hospital  and  the 
asylum  for  the  poor,  as  it  is  called,  capable  of  sheltering 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  179 

sixteen  hundred  people.  The  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum 
and  the  Hospital  for  the  Insane  are  the  best  organized  in 
Italy.  The  Public  Library  contains  some  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  bound  volumes,  and  is  open  for  free  use 
at  all  suitable  hours.  There  is  also  an  Academy  of  Fine 
Arts,  with  an  admirable  collection  of  paintings  and  sculp- 
ture :  many  of  the  examples  are  from  the  hands  of  the 
old  masters. 

The  Cathedral  of  St.  Lorenzo  is  richly  worthy  of  our 
attention.  Among-  the  curiosities  to  be  seen  within  its 
walls  are  the  two  urns  said  to  contain  the  ashes  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist,  which  are  paraded  with  religious  pomp 
through  the  streets  of  the  city  once  a  year.  They  are 
said  to  have  been  brought  from  the  city  of  Myrrha  in 
Lycia,  in  the  year  1097.  There  is  also  exhibited  here  an 
emerald  dish,  which  is  an  object  of  great  veneration  with 
the  Genoese,  and  which  is  said  to  have  held  the  Paschal 
Lamb  at  the  Last  Supper.  It  was  captured  from  the 
Saracens,  in  the  year  iioi,  at  the  storming  of  Cesarea. 

From  elevated  points  in  and  about  Genoa  most  charm- 
ing and  extended  views  of  the  Mediterranean  are  enjoyed. 
It  is  not  the  tranquil  and  lake-like  expanse  which  inex- 
perience would  believe  it  to  be,  but  is  capable  of  nearly  as 
fierce  commotion  as  the  angry  waves  of  the  Atlantic  itself. 
It  is  still  navigated  very  much  as  it  was  of  old  by  the 
Greeks,  the  Phoenicians,  and  the  Romans.  The  mariners 
still  hug  the  shore,  and  at  every  unfavorable  change  of 
weather  run  into  the  nearest  safe  anchorage.  Thus  most 
of  the  coasting-vessels  are  under  one  hundred  tons'  meas- 
urement, and  are  of  a  model  which  will  permit  of  their 
being  beached  upon  the  shelving  shore  in  an  emergency. 
It  seems  to  be  generally  believed  that  this  sea  is  tideless, 


l8o  FOOT-PRINTS  OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

but  it  is  not  the  case ;  it  feels  the  same  lunar  influence 
which  affects  the  ocean,  though  in  a  less  degree.  These 
waters  are  warmer  than  the  Atlantic,  owing  probably  to 
the  absence  of  polar  currents.  The  Mediterranean  is 
almost  entirely  enclosed  by  the  continents  of  Europe,  Asia, 
and  Africa,  and  covers  a  space  of  a  rnillion  of  square  miles, 
being  over  two  thousand  miles  long  and,  in  one  place,  more 
than  a  thousand  wide.  The  tide  is  most  noticeable  in  the 
Gulf  of  Venice,  where  the  rise  and  fall  is  from  three  to 
four  feet. 

Before  leaving  Genoa  we  will  drive  out  to  the  Campo 
Santo,  or  public  burial  ground.  It  is  a  remarkable  place 
laid  out  in  terraces,  containing  many  monuments,  and 
having  in  its  centre  a  large  circular  chapel  with  Doric 
columns,  the  vestibule  walls  also  containing  tombs,  bearing 
an  inscription  on  the  face  of  each.  Seeing  in  many  in- 
stances small  baskets  partially  wrapped  in  paper  or  linen 
laid  beside  or  on  the  graves  about  the  Campo  Santo,  one 
is  apt  to  inquire  what  their  significance  can  be,  and  he 
will  be  told  that  food  is  thus  placed  from  time  to  time,  for 
the  sustenance  of  the  departed  ! 


yo  URNE  YINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 8 1 


CHAPTER    XII. 

WE  embark  at  Genoa  for  Leghorn  by  a  coasting- 
steamer.  On  arriving  at  the  latter  port  the  first 
thing:  which  strikes  the  traveller  is  the  mixed  character  of 
the  population,  composed  of  Greeks,  Armenians,  Turks, 
Moors,  and  Italians,  whose  strongly  individualized  costumes 
give  picturesqueness  and  color  to  the  public  ways.  Until 
within  the  last  two  centuries  Leghorn  was  a  very  small 
village,  and  therefore  presents  comparatively  a  modern 
aspect,  with  its  present  population  of  about  a  hundred 
and  twenty  thousand.  The  streets  are  wide,  well  laid  out, 
and  regularly  paved,  the  northern  section  of  the  city  being 
intersected  by  canals,  enabling  the  merchants  to  float  their 
goods  to  the  doors  of  their  warehouses.  Its  fine  situation 
upon  the  Mediterranean  shore  is  its  one  recommendation, 
forming  an  entry  port  connected  with  Rome,  Pisa,  and 
other  inland  cities  of  Italy.  There  are  pointed  out  to  us 
here  three  special  hospitals,  an  observatory,  a  poorhouse 
and  a  public  library,  but  there  is  not  much  of  local  interest. 
An  excursion  of  fifteen  miles  by  railway  will  take  us  to 
Pisa,  one  of  the  oldest  cities  of  Italy,  and  formerly  the 
capital  of  the  grand  duchy  of  Tuscany,  being  finely  situ- 
ated on  the  banks  of  the  Arno,  which  divides  the  city  into 
two  parts,  and  is  crossed  by  three  noble  bridges.  The 
population  is  about  fifty  thousand,  and  it  has  broad,  hand- 
some streets,  with  a  number  of  spacious  squares,  fine 
churches,  and  public  edifices.     The  most  attractive  part  of 


lS2  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

the  city  is  that  lining  the  Arno,  where  there  are  several 
palaces  of  some  architectural  pretensions.  The  great  at- 
traction of  Pisa  lies  just  outside  of  the  city  proper,  consist- 
ing of  a  group  of  edifices  which  are  celebrated  all  over  the 
world.  These  are  the  Cathedral,  the  Baptistery,  and  the 
Belfry,  or,  as  it  is  more  generally  known,  the  Leaning 
Tower.  Each  of  these  is  separated  from  the  others  by 
several  rods.  The  Cathedral  is  the  oldest  structure,  and 
has  an  existence  covering  a  thousand  years.  The  iso- 
lation of  these  buildings  from  the  town,  and  their  com- 
plete separation  from  each  other,  add  very  much  to  their 
general  effect.  The  Cathedral,  built  entirely  of  white 
marble,  is  crowned  by  a  noble  dome,  which  is  supported  by 
over  seventy  pillars,  while  it  is  gorgeously  furnished  with 
almost  innumerable  art  treasures,  paintings,  variegated 
marbles,  panels,  superb  colored  glass  windows,  and  statues. 
The  altar  and  the  pulpit  rest  upon  pillars  of  porphyry.  The 
roof  is  not  arched,  but  is  of  wood,  divided  into  sections  and 
elaborately  gilded,  —  a  very  ancient  style  of  finish  found 
only  in  the  oldest  churches  upon  the  continent.  The  doors 
are  of  bronze  finely  sculptured.  In  the  nave  the  guide 
will  call  our  attention  to  a  large  bronze  hanging-lamp,  the 
oscillations  of  which  are  said  to  have  suggested  to  Galileo 
the  theory  of  the  pendulum.  The  Baptistery,  or  Church  of 
St.  John,  is  situated  nearly  opposite  the  Cathedral,  a  most 
beautifully  shaped  church,  which  is  noted  for  a  marvellous 
echo. 

The  Leaning  Tower  of  Pisa  is  one  of  the  famous  struc- 
tures of  the  world.  It  is  seven  stories  high,  the  summit 
measuring  one  hundred  and  eight  feet  from  the  ground. 
Each  story  is  divided  by  rows  of  columns,  so  that  archi- 
tecturally it  has  a  resemblance  to  the  other  buildings  near 


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JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 83 

at  hand.  There  are  many  theories  as  to  the  leaning  posi- 
tion of  this  tower,  but  no  two  persons  seem  to  quite  agree 
upon  the  matter.  A  pkimmet  and  Une  depending  from  the 
top  would  strike  the  ground  some  ten  feet  from  the  base 
of  the  structure.  It  has  stood  here  for  more  than  six  hun- 
dred years,  and  does  not  appear  to  be  in  any  danger  of  fall- 
ing. A  view  from  the  upper  gallery,  over  which  hangs  a 
chime  of  heavy  bells,  is  very  fine,  embracing  the  fertile 
plains  of  Tuscany. 

Near  at  hand  is  the  Campo  Santo,  a  cloistered  cenretery 
constructed  many  centuries  ago.  It  is  a  large  rectangular 
enclosure  surrounded  by  arcades.  After  the  loss  of  the 
Holy  Land  the  Pisans  caused  some  fifty  shiploads  of  soil 
to  be  brought  hither  from  Mt.  Calvary,  in  order  that  the 
dead  might  rest  in  what  was  conceived  to  be  holy  ground. 
It  was  in  this  Campo  Santo  that  the  earliest  Tuscan  artists 
were  taught  to  emulate  each  other,  and  here  the  walls  are 
covered  with  remarkable  representations  of  Scriptural  and 
historical  subjects.  The  originals  of  many  pictures  made 
familiar  to  us  by  engravings,  are  still  to  be  found  here, 
such  as  ''Noah  Inebriated,"  "Building  of  the  Tower  of 
Babel,"  "The  Last  Judgment,"  etc.  The  tombstones  of 
those  whose  remains  rest  here,  form  the  pavement  of  the 
arcades.  The  sculptures,  monuments,  and  bas-reliefs  in 
the  Campo  Santo  are  almost  innumerable,  forming  a 
strange  and  varied  collection. 

The  history  of  Pisa  is  of  great  antiquity,  having  been 
one  of  the  famous  twelve  towns  of  Etruria.  It  maintained 
its  municipal  government  and  almost  unlimited  freedom 
while  nominally  under  Roman  protection,  but  on  the  de- 
cline of  the  imperial  power  it  was  compelled  to  submit  in 
turn  to  the  various  transalpine  nations  who  overran  North- 


1 84  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

ern  Italy.  Early  in  the  eleventh  century  it  had  risen  to 
the  rank  of  a  powerful  republic  and  to  this  period  belong 
most  of  the  splendid  monuments  on  which  it  now  justly 
prides  itself.  Its  soldiers  were  conspicuous  in  the  crusades, 
and  at  that  time  its  fleets  were  the  most  powerful  that 
navigated  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 

Returning  to  Leghorn  we  embark  for  Naples  by  steamer. 
As  we  glide  slowly  into  the  lovely  bay  just  as  the  morning 
light  is  breaking  in  the  east,  we  feel  that  no  more  propi- 
tious hour  for  arrival  could  be  devised,  and  are  glad  that 
the  viev/  of  the  city  is  presented  to  us  for  the  first  time 
from  the  sea  rather  than  from  the  shore.  How  impressive 
is  the  historic  scene  which  gradually  spreads  out  before  us 
as  we  steam  slowly  in  by  the  islands  of  Procida  and  Cape 
Miseno,  while  we  behold  what  an  imaginative  writer  has 
termed  "a  fragment  of  heaven  to  earth  vouchsafed";  it 
certainly  seems  more  like  a  picture  than  like  reality.  Few 
cities  on  the  globe  are  so  famous  for  their  advantageous 
site  as  is  Naples.  It  lies  in  amphitheatre  form  on  the 
shore  of  the  classic  bay,  which  is  shut  in  from  the  sea  by 
the  island  of  Capri,  extending  in  part  across  its  entrance 
to  the  southeast,  while  to  the  northwest  loom  up  the  beau- 
tiful islands  of  Procida  and  Ischia,  so  full  of  sad  and  his- 
toric associations.  It  will  be  remembered  that  many  of 
the  population  were  engulfed  at  Ischia  by  an  earthquake 
within  a  few  years  past.  On  the  eastern  side  of  this  pano- 
ramic view  rises  Vesuvius,  with  its  bold  and  isolated  pinna- 
cle, while  its  dusky  sides  are  dotted  up  to  within  half  the 
distance  of  the  summit  by  villages,  hamlets,  villas,  and 
vineyards,  awaiting  the  destruction  which  it  would  seem 
must  come  sooner  or  later.  Along  the  base  of  the  volcano 
lie  the  towns  of  Portici,  Annunziata,  and  Torre  del  Greco, 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  185 

everything  glittering  in  the  light  of  the  rising  sun.  The 
eyes  cannot  rest  upon  a  spot  which  has  not  its  classic  as- 
sociation, turn  which  way  we  will.  In  the  distance  east- 
ward is  seen  Castellamare  and  Sorrento  on  the  right  curve 
of  the  crescent-shaped  shore,  while  on  the  left  lie  Solfa- 
tara  and  Pozzuoli.  What  a  shore  to  look  upon,  where 
Cicero,  Horace,  Virgil,  Tasso,  Pliny,  and  Macaenas  lived ! 
How  thrillingly  beautiful  it  is,  as  we  creep  slowly  up  to 
our  moorings  in  the  soft,  dewy  freshness  of  the  morning! 

In  direct  contrast  to  all  this  beauty  of  nature  and  pic- 
turesqueness  of  scenery,  as  soon  as  we  land  there  comes 
before  our  eyes  so  much  of  dirt,  poverty,  and  beggary,  as 
to  cause  us  to  shudder.  How  humanity  outrages  the  loveli- 
ness of  nature!  Begging  is  reduced  to  a  profession  here  ; 
thousands  of  both  sexes  and  of  all  ages  have  no  other  em- 
ployment or  seeming  ambition  than  to  beg  at  every  oppor- 
tunity, to  fill  their  stomachs  with  food,  and  then,  like  the 
inferior  animals,  to  stretch  themselves  in  the  sun  until 
again  aroused  by  hunger.  There  is  no  quarter  of  the  city 
exempt  from  this  pest  of  beggary.  The  palace  and  the 
hovel  join  each  other  in  strange  incongruity ;  starvation 
and  abundance  are  close  together  ;  elegance  and  rags  are 
in  juxtaposition  ;  the  city  has  nearly  half  a  million  popu- 
lation, and  this  condition  applies  to  all  its  streets.  There 
are  many  fine  public  buildings,  and  yet  they  can  lay 
no  special  claim  to  architectural  excellence.  The  old 
streets  are  narrow,  crooked,  and  in  some  places  ascended 
by  steps,  on  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees  ;  but  the  modern 
part  of  the  city  is  well  laid  out.  The  Strada  di  Roma  is 
the  Broadway  of  Naples,  a  fine,  busy  street,  more  than  a 
mile  in  length  and  lined  with  elegant  business  stores,  cafes, 
hotels,  and  public  offices.     The  famous  Riviera  di  Chiaja, 


1 86  FOOT-PKINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

or  Quay,  is  also  a  noble  street  running  along  the  shore  of 
the  bay,  lined  on  one  side  by  an  almost  endless  array  of 
palaces,  and  on  the  other  by  the  long  park  separating  it 
from  the  sea. 

This  Chiaja  is  the  famous  drive-way  of  Naples,  and  is  a 
broad  and  beautiful  street  by  which  we  enter  the  city 
from  the  west.  Just  about  sunset  this  thoroughfare 
presents  daily  a  scene  more  peculiar  and  quite  as  gay  as 
the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  or  the  Prater  of  Vienna,  being 
crowded  at  that  hour  by  the  beauty  and  fashion  of  the 
town  enjoying  an  afternoon  drive  or  horseback  ride. 
Here  may  be  seen  gigs  driven  by  young  Neapolitans  in 
dashing  style,  and  some  smart  brushes  in  the  way  of  rac- 
ing take  place.  The  small  Italian  horses  are  real  flyers, 
and  are  driven  only  too  recklessly  over  the  crowded  course. 
Mingling  with  the  throng  are  long  lines  of  donkeys  laden 
with  merchandise,  keeping  close  to  the  side  of  the  way 
in  order  to  avoid  the  fast  drivers ;  pedestrians  of  both 
sexes  dodging  out  and  in  among  the  vehicles  ;  cavalry  offi- 
cers cantering  on  showy  horses  ;  and  the  inevitable  army 
of  beggars  with  outstretched  hands  pleading  for  alms, 
among  whom  is  an  occasional  mendicant  friar  also  solicit- 
ing a  few  pennies. 

It  is  not  alone  the  common  classes  who  live  so  much 
in  the  streets.  It  is  not  alone  the  palace  windows  that 
are  filled  with  spectators  all  along  the  drive-way  of  the 
Chiaja  during  the  carnival  hour  of  the  day,  but  before  each 
residence  are  gathered  a  domestic  group  sitting  content- 
edly in  the  open  air,  bareheaded  and  in  gauze-like  costume. 
Some  of  the  ladies  employ  their  hands  with  dainty  needle- 
work, some  are  crocheting,  others  are  engaged  in  simple 
domestic  games,  and  all  are  chatting,  laughing,  and  enjoy- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  1 8/ 

ing  themselves  heartily.  The  ladies  wear  the  gayest  colors, 
these  adding  vividness  to  the  whole  picture.  To  complete 
the  strongly  individualized  scene,  there  are  the  graceful 
palms,  orange-trees,  and  fountains  of  the  park,  amid  abun- 
dant marble  statuary,  and  flowering  shrubs,  with  the  sea, 
Capri,  and  Vesuvius  for  a  background,  which  together  make 
up  the  view  of  the  Chiaja  at  twilight. 

Naples  is  very  peculiar  in  the  aspect  of  its  out-of-door 
life  ;  we  see  the  public  letter-writer  at  his  post  in  the  open 
square ;  the  common  people  are  conducting  most  of  their 
domestic  affairs  outside  of  their  dwellings.  Sellers  of 
macaroni,  oranges,  grapes,  hsh,  vegetables,  flowers,  and 
hawkers  of  every  sort  fill  the  air  with  their  shrill  cries. 
Common-looking  men  fling  thin,  greasy,  tattered  cloaks 
over  their  shoulders,  with  a  proud  air  and  inimitable  grace  ; 
groups  of  half-clad  children  play  in  the  dirt  ;  whole  fami- 
lies cook  and  eat  in  the  street ;  while  liveried  turn-outs  are 
dashing  hither  and  thither.  No  matter  in  which  direction 
one  may  go  in  or  around  the  city,  there  looms  up  heaven- 
ward the  sky-piercing  summit  of  Vesuvius,  shrouding  the 
blue  ether  all  day  long  with  its  slowly-rising  column  of 
smoke,  and  the  sulphuric  breathing  of  its  unknown  depths. 
The  burning  mountain  is  about  three  leagues  from  the 
city,  but  is  so  lofty  as  to  seem  closer  at  hand.  It  is  quite 
solitary,  rising  in  a  majestic  manner  from  the  plain,  but 
having  a  base  thirty  miles  in  circumference  and  a  height 
of  about  four  thousand  feet.  When  emitting  fire  as  well 
as  smoke,  the  scene  is  brilliant  indeed  as  a  night  picture, 
mirrored  in  the  clear  surface  of  the  beautiful  bay. 

We  find  ourselves  asking,  What  is  the  real  life  of  Italy 
to-day  }  The  sceptre  of  Commerce  has  passed  from  her ; 
Venice  is  no  longer  the  abode  of  merchant  princes  ;  Genoa 


1 88  FOOT-PRINTS  OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

is  but  the  shadow  of  what  she  once  was.  What  causes  a 
foreign  population  to  circulate  through  its  cities,  constantly 
on  the  wing,  scattering  gold  right  and  left  among  her 
needy  population  ?  It  is  the  rich,  unique  possession  which 
she  enjoys  in  her  monuments  of  art,  her  museums,  her  libra- 
ries, her  glorious  picture-galleries,  public  and  private,  but 
all  of  which  are  freely  thrown  open  to  the  traveller,  and  to 
all  comers.  The  liberality  of  her  nobles  and  merchant 
princes  in  the  days  of  her  great  prosperity  has  left  her  now 
a  resource  which  nothing  can  rob  her  of.  Where  could 
money  purchase  such  attractions  as  crowd  the  museum  of 
Naples  1  The  marble  groups  and  statues,  mostly  originals, 
number  more  than  a  thousand,  including  the  Dying 
Gladiator,  the  famous  group  of  Ganymede  and  the  Eagle, 
and  that  of  Bacchus  and  the  Laocoon.  Here  also  we  have 
Psyche,  Venus  Callipyge,  — •  this  last  dug  up  from  Nero's 
golden  home  at  Rome, —  and  hundreds  of  others  of  world- 
wide fame,  and  of  which  we  have  so  many  fine  copies  in 
America.  Rome  lies  but  a  hundred  and  sixty  miles  north 
of  Naples,  and  the  "  Eternal  City  "  has  largely  contributed 
to  the  art  treasures  of  the  institution  of  which  we  are  now 
speaking,  and  which  secures  to  the  city  a  floating  popula- 
tion annually  of  several  thousands. 

One  of  the  greatest  attractions  of  Naples  is  the  partially 
exhumed  city  of  Pompeii,  three  leagues  more  or  less  away. 
The  drive  thither  skirts  the  Mediterranean  shore,  with  its 
beautiful  villas,  private  residences,  convei'U:s,  and  churches, 
while  the  destructive  mountain  is  always  close  at  hand. 
The  place  in  its  present  aspect  is  simply  that  of  the  re- 
mains of  an  entire  city,  destroyed  and  buried  by  volcanic 
action  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago.  The  movable  ob- 
jects found  here  from  time  to  time,  as  the  slow  work  of 


LU 

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Q. 


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yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  189 

excavation  has  progressed,  have  been  removed  to  the  mu- 
seum at  Naples.  Quite  enough,  however,  is  left  upon  the 
spot  to  form  tangible  history,  and  to  help  the  antiquarian 
to  read  the  story  of  Pompeii,  which  was  a  populous  city 
four  or  five  centuries  before  the  coming  of  Christ,  and 
which  lay  entirely  buried  for  some  seventeen  hundred 
years..  It  is  about  a  century  since  the  first  effort  was  made 
towards  uncovering  the  dwelling-houses,  streets,  and  public 
edifices,  but  the  progress  which  has  been  made  clearly 
proves  that  the  inhabitants  were  suffocated  by  a  shower 
of  hot  ashes,  and  not  destroyed  by  a  sudden  avalanche  of 
lava  and  stones.  The  dwelling  of  Diomedes,  who  was  the 
Croesus  of  Pompeii,  was  the  first  house  disentombed.  Its 
owner  was  found  with  a  key  in  one  hand  and  a  bag  of  gold 
in  the  other.  Behind  him  was  a  slave  with  his  arms  full  of 
silver  vessels,  evidently  trying  to  escape  from  the  coming 
devastation  when  they  were  suddenly  overwhelmed,  and 
must  have  been  instantly  suffocated. 

In  the  house  of  Diomedes,  glass  windows,  six  or  eight 
inches  square,  are  found ;  showing  that  this  article  is  not 
of  such  modern  invention  as  had  previously  been  supposed. 
The  luxurious  public  baths  are  yet  perfect ;  while  the  house 
where  Cicero  lived  and  wrote  his  speeches,  besides  a  hun- 
dred other  well-preserved  historic  objects,  are  pointed  out 
by  the  guides.  We  are  shown  the  Temple  of  Hercules, 
the  theatres,  the  open  courts,  etc.  The  excavated  portion 
represents  about  one-third  of  the  whole  city  ;  but  enough 
is  clearly  discovered  to  show  that  between  thirty-five  and 
forty  thousand  people  here  made  their  homes,  and  that  the 
place  contained  all  the  fine  public  monuments  and  resorts 
that  indicate  a  refined  and  luxurious  community. 

An  excursion  of  ten  miles  along  the  coast  to  the  eastward 


I  go  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

will  take  us  to  Baiae,  where  the  luxurious  Romans  were  wont 
to  resort  for  their  summer  seasons.  Here  are  still  to  be  seen 
the  remains  of  the  villas  where  once  dwelt  Julius  Caesar, 
Pompey,  Marius,  and  such  other  notables  as  they  would 
naturally  draw  about  them.  The  eyes  can  be  turned  in  no 
direction  without  our  being  charmed  by  a  view  of  excep- 
tional beauty,  to  say  nothing  of  the  unequalled  historic 
interest  that  attaches  to  every  square  mile  of  territory  and 
to  the  broad  bay  close  at  hand.  Horace  declared  it  to  be 
the  loveliest  spot  on  earth,  and  Seneca  warned  every  one 
who  desired  to  maintain  dominion  over  himself  to  avoid 
this  fascinating  watering-place.  It  is  here  that  Virgil 
laid  many  of  his  poetic  scenes. 

A  day's  journey  by  railway  takes  us  to  Rome,  the  "Eter- 
nal City,"  which  is  built  on  both  sides  of  the  Tiber,  three 
or  four  leagues  from  its  influx  to  the  IVIediterranean.  We 
know  that  this  city  must  at  one  time  have  been  nearly 
as  populous  as  London  is  to-day,  but  the  present  number 
cannot  much  exceed  four  hundred  thousand.  The  ruins 
"of  Rome  —  for  it  is  a  city  of  ruins,  notwithstanding  its 
many  fine  modern  structures  —  can  give  but  a  faint  idea 
of  what  the  great  capital  was  in  the  days  of  its  glory. 
At  the  zenith  of  her  fame  the  city  was  filled  with  grand 
squares,  temples,  amphitheatres,  circuses,  baths,  and  pub- 
lic and  private  palaces,  scarcely  more  than  the  ruins  of 
which  now  remain  —  eloquent,  however,  in  their  grim 
silence.  In  the  days  of  the  Caesars,  fourteen  grand 
aqueducts,  supported  by  immense  arches,  hundreds  of 
which  still  remain,  conducted  whole  rivers  into  Rome 
from  a  distance  of  many  leagues,  supplying  one  hundred 
and  fifty  public  fountains,  with  over  a  hundred  public 
baths.      In  those  marvellous  days,  over  a  hundred   thou- 


'      yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS,  I9I 

sand  marble  and  bronze  statues  ornamented  the  public 
squares,  streets,  and  fountains,  together  with  ninety  colos- 
sal statues  on  lofty  pedestals,  and  over  forty  Egyptian 
obelisks  were  in  place.  What  an  enumeration  !  Yet  it 
falls  far  short  of  the  facts  as  illustrated  in  the  text  of 
history  and  proven  by  the  tangible  evidence  of  number- 
less  ruins. 

The  Piazza  del  Popolo  is  a  famous  square  in  Roman 
history,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  one  of  those  curious 
obelisks  transported  from  Egypt  eighteen  centuries  a^o, 
where  it  stood  before  the  Temple  of  the  Sun,  at  Heliopolis, 
thousands  of  years  since.  On  one  side  of  the  square 
there  are  twin  churches,  far  enough  apart  to  permit  the 
Corso,  or  Broadway  of  Rome,  to  enter  the  square  between 
them.  The  Corso  has  an  average  width  of  fifty  feet,  and 
is  a  mile  long.  It  is  on  this  central  street  that  the  horse- 
races take  place  during  the  Carnival ;  and  it  is  here  that 
the  finest  shops,  cafes,  and  palaces  are  to  be  found. 

The  Piazza  di  Spagna  is  another  interesting  square,  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  that  just  described.  It  covers  five 
or  six  acres  of  land,  and  has  a  curious  old  fountain  in  its 
centre.  From  one  side  of  the  square  a  grand,  broad  flight 
of  stone  steps  leads  up  to  the  elevated  ground  where  stands 
the  phurch  of  Trinita  de  Monti.  Lingering  on  and  about 
these  steps  the  artists'  models  are  seen  at  all  hours  of 
the  day,  both  sexes  and  all  ages  being  represented  among 
them.  Old  men  of  seventy  years,  with  noble  heads  and 
flowing  snowy  beards,  bent  forms  and  tattered  garments, 
sit  patiently  awaiting  a  demand  upon  them.  Perhaps  they 
could  afford  better  clothing  ;  but  they  have  an  eye  for  artis- 
tic effect,  and  a  true  sense  of  the  fitness  of  things.  The 
children,  waiting  here  for  the  same  purpose,  captivate  our 


ig2  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

attention  by  their  large  black  eyes  and  gypsy  complexions. 
How  graceful  and  kitten-like  they  are,  in  their  lazy,  lolling 
motions !  The  young  girls  are  such  as  are  not  seen  out  of 
Italy,  with  large,  beautifully  expressive  eyes,  gypsy  com- 
plexions touched  with  the  rose  color  of  health,  and  forms 
which  would  establish  a  sculptor's  reputation  could  he  re- 
produce them.  All  of  these  persons  are  here  for  a  legiti- 
mate purpose  ;  that  is,  to  sit  as  models,  for  a  given  sum 
per  hour,  and  to  this  object  they  honestly  adhere. 

The  favorite  promenade  of  the  Romans  of  to-day  is  the 
Pincio  ("the  hill  of  gardens"),  situated  near  and  overlooking 
the  Piazza  del  Popolo.  It  probably  derives  its  name  from 
the  Pincii  family,  whose  estate  it  belonged  to  in  the  period 
of  the  Empire.  Hereabouts,  of  old,  were  the  celebrated 
gardens  of  Lucullus ;  and  here  Messalina,  wife  of  Claudius, 
indulged  in  revelries.  Two  afternoons  of  each  week,  as 
well  as  on  all  holidays,  the  king's  military  band  gives  a 
public  concert  in  the  Pincio  gardens.  The  walks  are 
kept  in  scrupulous  neatness  and  order,  shaded  by  groups 
of  trees,  and  adorned  by  beautiful  beds  of  flowers.  At 
prominent  points,  fine  marble  statues  of  ancient  Romans 
are  conspicuously  placed.  The  paths  and  drives  about 
these  gardens  present  a  gay  picture  at  the  closing  hours 
of  each  day,  being  the  assembling-point  of  the  social  life 
of  modern  Rome. 

The  Vatican,  which  is  the  Pope's  palace,  is  one  of  the 
first  and  most  remarkable  attractions  for  the  traveller. 
We  say  the  palace,  but  it  is  actually  a  succession  of  pal- 
aces. This  elegant  stone  structure,  close  to  the  Cathe- 
dral of  St.  Peter's,  is  three  stories  in  height,  and  con- 
tains a  vast  number  of  saloons,  galleries,  chapels,  and 
corridors,  embracing  a  comprehensive   library  and   a   re- 


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JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  193 

markable  museum,  the  whole  surrounded  by  spacious  and 
elegantly  kept  gardens.  Twenty  courts,  eight  grand  stair- 
cases, and  two  hundred  ordinary-  ones,  are  all  contained 
within  its  walls.  It  is  connected  by  a  covered  gallery 
with  the  castle  of  St.  Angelo,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away, 
and  with  St.  Peter's,  which  it  nearly  adjoins.  Probably 
no  other  building,  or  series  of  buildings,  in  the  world  con- 
tains so  much  wealth  of  art  and  riches  generally  as  does 
the  Vatican  at  Rome.  Its  treasures  in  gold,  silver,  pre- 
cious stones,  books,  priceless  manuscripts,  and  relics,  are 
almost  beyond  enumeration.  All  the  world  —  ancient  and 
modern,  savage  and  Christian  —  has  contributed  to  swell 
this  remarkable  accumulation.  The  two  most  celebrated 
paintings,  and  esteemed  to  be  the  two  most  valuable  in 
existence,  are  to  be  seen  here ;  namely,  "  The  Transfigura- 
tion," by  Raphael,  and  **The  Communion  of  St.  Jerome," 
by  Domenichino.  So  incomparable  are  these  works  of  art 
that  no  critic  of  note  has  ventured  to  say  which  deserves 
to  be  named  first ;  but  all  agree  that  they  are  the  two  great- 
est paintings,  as  to  real  merit,  in  the  world.  They  are 
colossal  in  size,  and  have  both  made  the  journey  to  Paris. 
Napoleon  I.  had  them  both  transferred  to  the  Louvre  ;  but 
they  are  back  again,  forming  the  great  attraction  of  the 
Vatican.  The  ''  Last  Judgment,"  by  Michael  Angelo, 
covers  one  whole  side  of  the  Sistine  Chapel,  one  of  the 
very  best  of  this  great  master's  works,  requiring  hours  of 
study  to  enable  one  to  form  a  just  conception  of  its  design 
and  merits.  Raphael  has  a  series  of  fifty  other  paintings 
within  the  walls  of  the  Pope's  palace. 

The  most  notable  ruin  in  this  ancient  city  is  the  Coli- 
seum, the  largest  amphitheatre,  and  still  one  of  the  most 
imposing  structures,  in  the  world ;  broken  in  every  part. 


194  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

but  still  showing,  by  what  remains  of  its  massive  walls, 
what  it  must  once  have  been.  History  tells  us,  that,  upon 
its  completion,  it  was  inaugurated  by  gladiatorial  combats 
continued  for  one  hundred  days ;  during  which  time  five 
thousand  wild  beasts  were  killed  in  contests  with  Christian 
slaves,  who  acted  as  gladiators.  The  Coliseum  was  begun 
by  Vespasian,  on  his  return  from  his  war  with  the  Jews, 
but  was  dedicated  by  his  son  Titus,  and  completed  by  Domi- 
tian  over  eighteen  hundred  years  ago.  Ten  thousand 
captives  are  said  to  have  been  slain  at  the  time  of  its  dedi- 
cation, and  it  was  designed  to  accommodate  one  hundred 
thousand  spectators.  The  present  circumference  of  the 
structure  is  about  one-third  of  a  mile.  From  the  arena 
rise  the  tiers  of  seats,  one  above  another,  indicated  by 
partially  preserved  steps  and  passage-ways.  In  its  prime 
it  was  doubtless  elegantly  ornamented ;  and  some  evidences 
of  fine  art  still  remain  upon  the  crumbling  and  lofty  walls. 
The  material  is  a  kind  of  freestone.  The  style  of  archi- 
tecture embraces  four  orders,  imposed  one  upon  another : 
the  lower  one  is  Tuscan  or  Doric  ;  the  second,  Roman- 
Ionic  ;  and  the  third  and  fourth,  Corinthian  or  Composite. 
The  Pantheon  is  the  only  entirely  preserved  edifice  of 
Greek  architecture  in  Rome.  This  grand  and  marvellous 
structure  w^as  originally  dedicated  to  the  Pagan  gods, 
but  is  now  a  Christian  church.  It  is  the  largest  build- 
ing of  ancient  times,  and  whose  splendid  Corinthian  col- 
umns fill  the  eye  with  pleasure  at  the  first  glance.  The 
diameter  of  the  structure  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet, 
and  the  summit  of  the  upper  cornice  over  one  hundred  feet 
from  the  base,  the  entire  height  being  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet.  The  interior  effect  is  one  of  true  majesty,  and 
that  of  the  combined  whole  is  deemed  the  acme  of  archi- 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  195 

tectural  perfection  of  the  ancient  buildings  of  Rome.  The 
plates  of  gilded  bronze  which  once  covered  the  roof,  the 
bronze  ornaments  of  the  pediment,  and  the  silver  that 
adorned  the  interior  of  the  dome,  it  is  said,  were  carried 
off  by  Constans   II.  more  than  a   thousand  years  ago. 

St.  Peter's  is  considered  to  be  the  most  magnificent 
church  of  Italian  or  classical  architecture  in  the  world. 
Its  extreme  length  within  the  walls  is  a  trifle  over  six 
hundred  feet,  while  its  greatest  width  is  about  four  hundred 
and  fifty  feet.  The  height,  from  the  pavem.ent  to  the  cross 
at  the  apex,  is  four  hundred  and  fifty-eight  feet.  By  com- 
paring these  dimensions  with  familiar  objects,  we  can  gain 
some  general  idea  of  the  immensity  of  this  structure,  the 
largest  ever  reared  by  Christians  in  honor  of  the  Supreme 
Being ;  but  only  by  frequent  and  long-continued  visits  do 
we  finally  come  fully  to  realize  its  unequalled  beauty  and 
grandeur. 

As  Florence  only  dates  from  three  or  four  hundred  years 
before  Christ,  it  is  not  considered  very  ancient  in  the  Old 
World.  It  sprang,  undoubtedly,  from  Fiesole,  at  the  foot 
of  which  it  now  lies.  The  Fiesole  of  the  ancients  was 
perched  upon  an  almost  inaccessible  height,  in  accordance 
with  the  style  in  which  they  used  to  build  in  those  days  of 
constant  warfare ;  but  as  civilization  advanced,  the  city  of 
Florence  began  to  grow  up  on  the  banks  of  the  Arno  and 
to  cover  the  valley  at  the  base  of  the  paternal  settlement, 
until,  to-day,  it  has  a  population  of  about  a  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand.  It  did  not  assume  any  importance  until 
the  time  of  Charlemagne,  from  which  period  it  grew  rap- 
idly in  numbers  and  in  prosperity  of  trade,  its  early  and 
long-continued  specialty  being  the  manufacture  of  Etrus- 
can jewelry  and  mosaics ;  the  latter  business,   especially, 


196  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

having  descended  from  father  to  son  until  it  has  reached 
the  present  time.  One  may  now  purchase  in  the  Floren- 
tine shops  the  finest  specimens  of  the  art  to  be  found 
in  all  Europe. 

The  square  of  St.  Croce  receives  its  name  from  the 
remarkable  church  of  Santa  Croce  which  is  located  here, 
and  which  is  the  Italian  Pantheon  or  Westminster  Abbey, 
where  rest  the  ashes  of  Alfieri,  Machiavelli,  Galileo,  and 
a  score  of  equally  historic  names.  What  a  galaxy  of 
great  poets,  artists,  statesmen,  and  philosophers  are  here 
sleeping  in  their  winding-sheets.  Another  fine  square  is 
that  of  the  Piazza  della  Annunziata,  in  which  is  situated 
the  church  of  the  same  name,  a  foundling  hospital,  and 
an  equestrian  statue  of  Ferdinand  I.  by  John  of  Bologna. 
The  Piazza  della  Signoria  is  the  busiest  place  in  Florence, 
containing  also  some  remarkable  buildings,  as  well  as  stat- 
ues, fountains,  and  colonnades.  The  fine  tower  of  one  of 
the  Boston  city  churches  is  copied  from  the  lofty  campa- 
nile, or  bell-tower,  of  the  Vecchio  Palace,  now  occupied  as 
the  city  hall,  and  which  forms  the  most  striking  object  in 
this  interesting  centre. 

The  hills  which  overlook  Florence  are  indeed  classic 
ground.  Here  Catiline  conspired,  and  Milton  wrote  ;  here 
Michael  Angelo  occupied  his  studio,  and  Galileo  conducted 
his  discoveries,  while  here,  also,  Boccaccio  wrote  his  famous 
love  tales.  These  hillsides  are  dotted  with  beautiful  villas, 
mostly  owned  by  foreigners  drawn  hither  in  search  of  health, 
or  the  study  of  art.  No  other  city  in  the  world,  not  except- 
ing Rome,  affords  such  extended  facilities  for  the  latter 
purpose.  Those  great  depositories  of  art,  the  Uffizi  Gal- 
lery and  the  Pitti  Palace,  are  perhaps  unequalled,  having 
within  their  walls  over  a  thousand  paintings,  each  one  of 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  197 

which  is  meritorious,  and  many  of  which  are  hardly  sur- 
passed, if  they  are  equalled.  Raphael,  Murillo,  Titian, 
Michael  Angelo,  Paul  Veronese,  Velasquez,  and  like  mas- 
ters of  art  are  here  fully  represented.  To  stand  before 
canvas  which  the  world  has  crowned  with  undivided  ap- 
proval, to  realize  that  the  finest  copies  which  we  have 
seen  are  but  faint  shadows  of  the  originals,  is  a  privilege 
which  makes  us  forget  all  petty  annoyances,  all  cost  of 
time  and  money  in  the  accomplishment.  One  pauses  with 
more  than  ordinary  curiosity  before  the  Madonna  della 
Seggiola,  one  of  the  most  famous  pictures  of  Raphael, 
and  indeed  of  all  art.  We  fancy  that  we  have  seen  it 
faithfully  reproduced,  but  a  glance  at  the  original  con- 
vinces us  that,  like  the  Beatrice  Cenci,  it  cannot  be  copied, 
but  only  imitated. 

The  Uffizi  and  Pitti  Palaces  are  connected,  and  really 
form  but  one  great  gallery  of  art.  In  the  Uffizi  division 
is  what  is  known  as  the  Tribune,  —  the  throne  room  of 
art,  where  stands  "the  statue  that  enchants  the  world,"  — 
the  Venus  de  Medici, — dividing  its  homage  with  that 
equally  exquisite  painting,  Titian's  recumbent  Venus, 
declared  to  be  the  masterpiece  of  color.  These  two  works 
are  surrounded  by  others  almost  as  perfect,  and  which  in 
the  eyes  of  trained  artists  share  their  loyalty.  No  wonder 
the  student  of  art  selects  Florence  as  a  place  of  residence, 
where  he  can  visit  as  often  as  he  pleases  such  models,  with- 
out cost,  works  which  cannot  fail  to  inspire  artistic  genius 
in  whomsoever  the  germs  exist.  But  not  alone  those  who 
wield  the  pencil  and  the  chisel  come  hither  to  seek  a  con- 
genial home.  The  soft  beauty  of  the  scenery,  the  delight- 
ful climate,  and  the  poetic  associations  have  tempted  artists 
and  literary  people  in  other  lines  to  pitch  their  tents  here- 


198  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

abouts.  Mario,  the  great  tenor,  once  lived  yonder ;  in 
that  villa  on  the  sloping  hillside,  Taglioni  once  made  her 
home ;  Walter  Savage  Landor  sheltered  his  gray  hairs 
in  this  cottage  home  overlooking  the  valley  of  the  Arno, 
and  died  here.  This  old  church  not  far  away  is  that  of  St. 
Miniato  al  Monte,  nearly  ten  centuries  in  age,  famous  for 
its  carved  work  and  paintings. 

The  common  people  of  Florence  seem  actuated  by  a 
universal  spirit  of  industry ;  and  as  to  beggars,  we  see  none 
upon  its  streets  —  a  fact  worthy  of  note  in  Italy.  The 
women  fruit-dealers  on  the  corners  of  the  streets  are  busy 
with  their  needles,  while  awaiting  customers ;  the  flower- 
girls  are  equally  industrious,  sitting  beside  their  fragrant 
wares  ;  the  girl  who  opens  the  gate  for  us  and  guides  us 
to  the  tombs  of  Mrs.  Browning  and  Theodore  Parker, 
in  the  city  burial  grounds,  knits  steadily  as  she  walks. 
The  public  park  is  called  the  Cascine,  and  lies  along  the 
banks  of  the  Arno  ;  in  some  respects  it  is  more  attractive 
than  most  of  such  resorts  in  Europe,  being  finely  wooded, 
and  consequently  presenting  shady  drives,  and  quiet  rural 
retreats  for  pedestrians.  It  is  the  favorite  resort  of  all 
classes  who  have  leisure  in  the  after  part  of  the  day,  and 
is  enlivened  three  or  four  times  each  week  by  the  presence 
of  a  military  band,  which  discourses  the  choicest  music  to 
ears  ever  ready  for  this  sort  of  entertainment :  no  people 
are  more  fond  of  music  than  the  Italians. 

The  Arno,  which  divides  the  city  into  two  unequal  parts, 
is  only  a  very  small  stream  during  half  the  year;  but  when 
the  snow  melts  upon  the  mountains,  or  the  rainy  season 
sets  in,  it  then  becomes  a  broad,  swift  river,  conveying  a 
great  volume  of  water.  It  is  crossed  by  six  bridges,  not 
far  apart,   besides  two  suspension  bridges  at  the  extremi- 


yOURNEYlJStGS  LV  MANY  LANDS.  I99 

ties  of  the  city.  The  Ponte  Vecchio  is  nearest  the  Pitti 
and  Uffizi  galleries,  and  is  covered  by  curious  little  shops. 
We  must  not  fail  to  visit  the  house  where  Dante  was  born, 
and  also  the  house  of  Michael  Angelo.  In  this  latter  are 
shown  many  of  the  personal  belongings  of  the  great  artist 
and  master,  and  the  room  where  he  studied  and  painted, 
containing  numerous  articles  of  which  he  made  daily  use. 
The  last  representative  of  his  family  bequeathed  the  whole 
priceless  treasure  to  the  city  of  Florence. 

There  is  a  lovely  and  celebrated  park  situated  back  of 
the  Palazzo  Pitti  which  is  open  to  the  public,  and  known 
as  the  Boboli  Gardens.  The  grounds  are  quite  spacious, 
being  over  a  mile  in  circumference,  divided  into  shady 
walks  invitingly  retired,  shaded  by  thrifty  laurels  and 
cypresses,  being  also  ornamented  with  some  fine  marble 
statues,  and  many  gracefully  carved  vases.  Among  the 
statues  are  four  by  Michael  Angelo,  upon  which  he  is  said 
to  have  been  at  work  when  he  died. 


200  FOOT^PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

VENICE  is  a  genuine  surprise  to  the  stranger.  No 
matter  what  idea  he  may  have  formed  concerning  it, 
he  can  hardly  have  approximated  to  the  truth.  It  is  unique, 
mystical,  poetic,  constantly  appealing  in  some  new  form  to 
the  imagination,  and  often  more  than  fulfilling  expectation. 
The  people,  institutions,  buildings,  history  —  all  are  peculiar. 
Her  statesmen,  artisans,  merchants,  and  sailors  have  been 
the  first  in  Europe,  while  for  over  twelve  hundred  years 
she  has  gone  on  creating  a  history  as  remarkable  as  is  her 
physical  formation.  No  city  fills  a  more  prominent  page 
in  the  records  of  the  Middle  Ages,  or  is  more  enshrined  in 
romance  and  poetry.  It  is  a  city  of  a  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants,  and  yet  what  comparative  stillness  reigns  over 
all,  solemn  and  strange  especially  to  the  newly  arrived 
traveller.  There  is  no  rattling  of  wheels,  no  tramp  of 
horses'  feet  upon  the  streets ;  wheels  and  horses  are  un- 
known ;  only  the  gondola  serves  as  a  mode  of  conveyance, 
and  the  noiseless  canals  take  the  place  of  streets.  The 
gondola  is  nowhere  else  seen  save  on  these  canals  and 
lagoons  (shallow  bays).  It  is  of  all  modes  of  transportation 
the  most  luxurious.  The  soft  cushions,  the  gliding  motion, 
the  graceful  oarsmen,  who  row  in  a  standing  position,  the 
marble  palaces  between  which  we  float  in  a  dreamy  state, 
harmonize  so  admirably,  that  the  sense  of  completeness  is 
perfect.  The  Grand  Canal,  two  hundred  feet  wide,  is  the 
Broadway,  or  popular  boulevard,  of  Venice,  and  over  this 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  201 

glide  the  innumerable  gondolas  and  boats  of  light  traffic, 
with  a  quiet  panoramic  effect,  which  we  watch  curiously 
from  our  overhanging  balcony.  This  main  artery  of  the 
city  is  lined  with  palaces  and  noble  marble  edifices  nearly 
the  whole  of  its  length  of  two  miles.  Some  of  these,  to 
be  sure,  are  crumbling  and  deserted,  with  the  word  decay 
written  in  their  aspect,  but  even  in  their  moss-grown  and 
neglected  condition  they  are  intensely  interesting. 

The  city  is  built  upon  one  hundred  and  seventeen  islands, 
separated  by  a  hundred  and  fifty  canals,  and  as  the  local 
guides  will  tell  us,  has  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  bridges, 
mostly  of  stone,  —  "that  is;  one  for  every  day  in  the  year;" 
but  there  are,  in  fact,  twenty  more  bridges  to  add  to  this 
aggregate.  Most  of  the  dwellings  rise  immediately  out  of 
the  water,  and  one  passes  out  of  the  gondolas  on  to  marble 
steps  to  enter  them.  Altogether  Venice  is  a  little  over 
seven  miles  in  circumference. 

As  we  sit  floating  in  our  gondola  just  off  the  Piazzetta 
of  St.  Mark,  the  moon  comes  up  above  the  waters  of  the 
Adriatic  and  hangs  serenely  over  the  lagoons.  No  pen 
can  justly  describe  such  a  sight  —  only  a  Claude  Lor- 
raine could  paint  it.  Glancing  gondolas  on  their  noiseless 
track  cut  the  silvery  ripples ;  a  sweet  contralto  voice,  with 
guitar  accompaniment,  salutes  the  ear ;  stately  palaces  cast 
long,  mysterious  shadows  upon  the  water  j  the  Bridge  of 
Sighs  arches  the  canal  between  the  palace  and  prison  close 
at  hand ;  oddly-rigged  craft  from  the  far  East  float  lazily 
at  anchor  in  the  open  harbor;  the  domes  of  lofty  churches 
are  outlined  against  the  dark  blue  sky ;  while  the  proud 
columns  of  St.  Mark  and  St.  Theodore  stand  like  sentinels 
at  the  water's  edge.  It  seems,  altogether,  like  some  well- 
prepared   theatrical   scene  upon  the  stage,  on  which  the 


202  POOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

curtain  will  presently  fall,  shutting  out  everything  from 
view. 

The  broad  outline  of  the  history  of  this  long-lived  re- 
public is  familiar  to  most  of  us.  Many  of  its  details  have 
been  enshrined  by  Byron,  who,  without  assuming  the  dig- 
nity of  historical  record,  has  taught  us  in  poetic  form. 
The  names  of  Dandolo,  Faliero,  and  the  two  Foscari  are 
familiar  to  all  cultured  people.  The  close  of  the  fifteenth 
century  may  be  designated  as  the  culminating  point  of  the 
glory  of  Venice,  it  being  then  the  grand  focus  of  European 
commerce,  and  twice  as  populous  as  it  is  to-day.  At  that 
time  it  possessed  three  hundred  sea-going  vessels  and  forty- 
five  naval  galleys,  with  which  it  maintained  sway  over  the 
Mediterranean  Sea.  With  the  commencement  of  the  six- 
teenth century  her  glory  began  gradually  to  fade  until  she 
ceased  to  maintain  a  prominent  position  among  the  powers. 
In  art,  Venice  ahvays  occupied  a  first  position,  and  was 
celebrated  for  the  brilliancy  of  the  coloring  which  charac- 
terizes the  Venetian  school. 

Though  fallen  in  commercial  glory,  Venice  still  stands 
without  a  rival.  Where  else  can  be  found  a  city  composed 
of  over  seventy  islands  "^  Is  there  another  city  where 
architects,  sculptors,  painters,  and  workers  in  mosaic  de- 
voted their  lives  to  the  purpose  of  decorating  and  beauti- 
fying their  native  place  }  No  capital,  even  in  Italy,  is  richer 
in  splendid  and  antique  churches,  in  superbly  decorated 
palaces,  and  with  the  exception  of  Rome  and  Florence,  no 
city  has  more  invaluable  art  treasures.  Here  the  works  of 
Guido,  Paul  Veronese,  Titian,  Bonifacio,  Giordano,  and 
Tintoretto  especially  abound.  The  Venetian  school  of 
painting  maintains  precedence  even  in  our  day.  In  the 
Doge's  Palace,  built  many  hundred  years  ago,  the  visitor 


Page  200. 


SCENE  ON  THE   GRAND    CANAL,  VENICE. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  203 

will  find  paintings  and  sculpture  which  he  can  never  for- 
get, and  among  them  Tintoretto's  Paradise,  said  to  be  the 
largest  oil  painting  extant  by  a  great  master.  It  contains 
an  army  of  figures,  and  would  seem  to  have  required  a  life- 
time to  produce. 

The  Piazza  of  St.  Mark  is  the  centre  of  attraction.  How 
strange,  and  yet  how  familiar  everything  seems  to  us  here  ! 
We  require  no  guide  to  point  out  the  remarkable  monuments. 
We  do  not  fail  to  recognize  at  a  glance  the  tall  masts  from 
which  the  banners  of  the  republic  floated  in  triumph,  when 
the  carrier  pigeons  brought  news  that  "  blind  old  Dandolo 
had  captured  Constantinople ! "  We  recognize  the  lofty 
Campanile,  the  sumptuous  palace  of  the  Doges,  and  the 
gorgeous  front  of  the  Cathedral  over-topped  by  its  grace- 
ful donies,  bristling  wdth  innumerable  pinnacles.  Above 
the  portals  of  St.  Mark  we  gaze  upon  the  celebrated  bronze 
horses  which  Napoleon  I.  stole  and  transported  to  Paris, 
but  which  the  Emperor  Francis  restored  to  Venice.  It  is 
not  the  first  time  these  historic  horses  of  Lysippus  have 
been  stolen,  these  monuments  of  the  departed  glory  of 
Chios  and  Constantinople  —  of  Venice  and  Napoleon. 

In  many  respects  the  Cathedral  of  San  Marco  is  the 
most  remarkable  church  in  existence,  while  its  ornamenta- 
tion is  rich  to  excess.  For  good  architectural  effect  it 
stands  too  low,  the  present  grade  of  the  surrounding  square 
being  some  fifteen  inches  or  more  above  its  mosaic  pavement. 
The  pillars  and  ornaments  are  too  crowded  ;  having  been 
brought  hither  from  other  and  historic  lands,  there  is  a 
want  of  harmony  in  the  aggregation.  Nearly  a  thousand 
years  old,  it  has  an  indescribable  aspect  of  faded  and  tar- 
nished splendor,  and  yet  it  presents  an  attractive  whole 
quite  unequalled.     It  combines  Saracenic  profusion  with 


204  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

Christian  emblems,  weaving  in  porphyries  from  Egypt, 
pillars  from  St.  Sophia,  altar  pieces  from  Acre,  and  a  forest 
of  Grecian  columns.  Especially  is  this  church  rich  in 
mosaics  —  those  colors  that  never  fade.  There  is  a  sense  of 
solemn  gloom  pervading  the  place,  the  dim  light  struggling 
through  the  painted  windows  being  only  sufficient  to  give 
the  whole  a  weird  aspect,  in  its  over-decorated  aisles.  Some 
idea  may  be  formed  of  the  elaborate  ornamentation  of 
the  Cathedral  from  the  fact  that  it  contains  over  forty 
thousand  square  feet  of  mosaic  work  !  The  vaulting  con- 
sists entirely  of  mosaic,  representing  scenes  in  the  Old 
Testament,  beginning  vWth  the  story  of  the  creation,  and 
followed  by  scenes  from  the  New  Testament.  As  we  walk 
about  the  church,  the  floor  beneath  our  feet  is  found  quite 
uneven  from  the  slow  settlement  of  ages.  Inside  and  out 
the  structure  is  ornamented  by  over  five  hundred  columns 
of  marble,  the  capitals  of  which  present  a  fantastic  variety 
of  styles  true  to  no  country  or  order,  but  the  whole  is, 
nevertheless,  a  grand  example  of  barbaric  splendor. 

Just  opposite  the  entrance  to  the  Church  of  San  Marco 
stands  the  lofty  Campanile,  reaching  to  a  height  of  three 
hundred  feet,  and  which  was  over  two  hundred  years  in 
building.  A  view  from  its  summit  is  one  of  the  sights 
not  to  be  missed  in  this  city,  as  it  affords  not  only 
a  splendid  picture  of  Venice  itself,  but  the  city  and 
lagoons  lie  mapped  out  before  the  eye  in  perfection  of 
detail,  while  in  the  distance  are  seen  the  Adriatic,  the 
Alpine  ranges,  and  the  Istrian  ^lountains.  The  Campa- 
nile is  ascended  by  a  winding  way  in  place  of  steps,  and 
there  is  a  legend  that  Napoleon  rode  his  horse  to  the  top, 
a  feat  v/hich  is  certainly  possible.  In  this  lofty  tower 
Galileo  prosecuted  his  scientific  experiments. 


JOURNEYiNGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  20$ 

Petrarch  wrote  that  Venice  was  the  home  of  justice  and 
equity,  refuge  of  the  good ;  rich  in  gold,  but  richer  in  renown  ; 
built  on  marble,  but  founded  on  the  surer  foundation  of  a 
city  worthy  of  veneration  and  glory.  But  this  is  no  longer 
the  Venice  he  described  ;  no  longer  the  city  of  grasping 
and  successful  ambition,  of  proud  and  boastful  princes. 
It  has  become  what  pride,  ostentation,  and  luxury  in  time 
must  always  lead  to.  It  presents  to-day  a  fallen  aspect  — 
one  of  grandeur  in  rags.  No  argosies  are  bound  to  foreign 
ports,  no  princely  merchants  meet  on  the  Rialto ;  that 
famous  bridge  is  now  occupied  on  either  side  by  Jews' 
shops  of  a  very  humble  character ;  and  yet  do  not  let  us 
seem  to  detract  from  the  great  interest  that  overlies  all 
drawbacks  as  regards  the  Venice  even  of  the  present  hour. 

The  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  is  reached  by  crossing  the 
Grand  Canal,  over  the  modern  iron  bridge,  which,  with 
that  of  the  Rialto,  a  noble  span  of  a  single  arch,  built  of 
white  marble,  forms  the  only  means  of  crossing  the  great 
water-way,  except  by  gondola.  This  remarkable  gallery 
contains  almost  exclusively  works  by  Venetian  artists. 
Here  we  find  a  remarkable  representation  of  the  ''  Sup- 
per of  Cana,"  which  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  "Para- 
dise." It  is  considered  by  competent  critics,  to  be  one 
of  the  finest  pieces  of  coloring  in  existence.  Here  we 
have  some  of  Titian's  best  productions,  and  those  of  many 
Italian  artists  whose  pictures  are  not  to  be  found  elsewhere. 
The  gallery^,  like  all  of  the  famous  ones  of  Europe,  is  free 
to  every  one,  either  for  simple  study,  or  for  copying.  This 
is  the  collection  which  Napoleon  I.  said  he  would  give  a 
nation's  ransom  to  possess.  On  the  way  to  the  Academy 
the  guide  points  out  the  Barberigo  Palace,  in  which  Titian 
lived  and  died. 


206  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

The  Doge's  Palace  is  full  of  historic  interest.  We  wan- 
der with  mingled  feelings  through  its  various  apartments, 
visiting  the  halls  of  the  Council  of  Ten,  and  the  still  more 
tragic  chambers  of  the  Council  of  Three.  Many  secret 
passages  are  threaded ;  we  cross  the  Bridge  of  Sighs,  and 
descend  into  the  dungeons  in  which  Faliero,  Foscari,  and 
other  famous  prisoners  are  said  to  have  been  incarcerated. 
These  mediaeval  dungeons  are  wretched  beyond  belief, 
and  how  human  beings  could  live  and  breathe  in  such 
places  is  the  marvel  of  every  one  who  visits  them  in 
our  day.  Here  we  are  shown  the  apartment  where  the 
condemned  prisoners  were  secretly  strangled,  and  the 
arched  windows  by  which  their  bodies  were  launched  into 
boats  on  the  canal,  to  be  borne  away,  and  sunk  in  the 
distant  lagoons.  Trial,  sentence,  fate,  —  all  in  secret,  and 
this  was  done  under  the  semblance  of  justice  and  a  repub- 
lican form  of  government. 

The  church  of  the  Frari,  whither  we  will  next  turn 
our  steps,  is  in  an  American's  estimation  quite  as  much 
of  a  museum  as  a  church.  It  is  the  Westminster  Abbey 
of  Venice,  and  is  crowded  with  the  monuments  of  doges, 
statesmen,  artists,  philosophers,  and  more  especially  is 
ornamented  in  a  most  striking  manner  by  the  tombs  of 
Titian  and  Canova.  These  elaborate  marble  structures 
face  each  other  from  opposite  sides  of  the  church  —  monu- 
ments raised  in  memory  of  rarest  genius,  and  which  for 
richness  of  design  and  completeness  of  finish  exceed  any- 
thing of  the  sort  in  Italy. 

In  the  square  of  St.  Mark  we  have  an  opportunity  for 
studying  the  masses,  the  well-to-do  classes,  but  not  the 
refined  and  cultured  ;  these  maintain  a  certain  dignified 
exclusiveness.     The  uniforms  of   the   police,  each  one  of 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  20/ 

whom  is  bedizened  equal  to  a  militia  general,  are  a  stand- 
ing caricature.  One  notes  the  many  Jews  among  the 
throng;  here  a  turbaned  Turk  sits  before  a  cafe  smoking 
his  pipe,  and  near  by  a  handsome  Greek,  with  his  red  fez, 
smokes  a  cigar.  There  are  Orientals  of  all  types,  with 
jaunty  Englishmen,  and  gay  parties  of  Americans. 

We  will  now  pass  on  to  Milan,  once  considered  the  second 
city  of  Italy  in  importance,  but  it  was  totally  destroyed  in 
1 162  by  Barbarossa,  and  we  therefore  see  a  comparatively 
modern  capital.  In  the  olden  time  it  was  filled  with  tem- 
ples, baths,  amphitheatres,  circuses,  and  all  the  monu- 
ments common  to  great  Italian  cities.  Seven  hundred 
years  and  more  have  elapsed  since  its  destruction,  during 
which  it  rapidly  sprang  into  life  again  as  the  capital  of 
Lombardy,  and  is  still  a  growing  metropolis.  True,  it  can 
offer  no  such  attractions  to  the  traveller  as  abound  in 
Naples,  Rome,  and  Florence,  though  there  are  some  art 
treasures  here  which  are  unique.  Were  it  not  that  the 
city  is  so  near  to  Lakes  Como  and  ^laggiore,  and  in  pos- 
session of  half  a  hundred  remarkable  pictures,  with  a  score 
of  choice  original  pieces  of  sculpture,  together  wdth  its 
wonderful  cathedral,  the  traveller  would  hardly  care  to 
pass  more  than  a  day  in  Milan.  The  present  population  is 
about  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand,  It  is  thrifty  and 
devoted  more  to  successful  branches  of  business  than  are 
the  cities  of  Southern  Italy. 

The  Milan  Cathedral  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  wonders 
of  the  world,  being  also  next  to  the  cathedral  at  Seville 
and  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  the  largest  church  in  Europe, 
though  this  matter  of  size  is  of  insignificant  consideration 
compared  with  its  other  marvels.  The  interior  is  nearly 
five  hundred  feet  in  length  and  but  a  fraction  less  than 


208  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

two  hundred  in  width,  while  the  dome  is  over  two  hundred 
feet  in  height.  Its  loftiest  tower  is  over  three  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  above  the  ground ;  there  are  a  hundred  pin- 
nacles in  all,  and  no  less  than  four  thousand  five  hundred 
marble  statues  ornament  the  exterior.  The  interior  con- 
sists of  a  nave  with  double  aisles,  and  is  supported  by 
fifty-two  pillars,  each  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  the  summits 
of  which  are  decked  with  canopied  niches  presenting 
statues  in  place  of  the  customary  capitals.  The  pavement 
is  finished  in  marble  and  mosaic.  The  edifice  was  in 
course  of  construction  for  five  hundred  years,  and  to  look 
at  it  one  would  hardly  suppose  there  was  white  marble 
enough  in  Europe  to  furnish  the  raw  material  of  which  it 
is  built.  The  principal  part  of  the  work  has  been  per- 
formed during  the  last  hundred  years. 

One  mounts  nearly  five  hundred  stone  steps  to  reach  the 
summit  of  the  cathedral,  w^here  we  stand  in  the  highest 
pinnacle,  nearly  four  hundred  feet  from  the  street.  Far 
below^  lies  the  city,  the  dwellings  and  churches  resembling 
toy-houses,  while  the  people  moving  about  in  the  thorough- 
fares assume  pigmy  proportions,  horses  looking  like  exag- 
gerated insects.  We  gaze  about  in  dizzy  wonder,  and  are 
half  inclined  to  believe  it  all  a  trick  of  the  imagination. 
After  the  first  surprise  is  over,  the  true  aspect  gradually 
dawns  upon  the  stranger,  and  the  labor  of  ascending  those 
tedious  steps  is  forgotten.  The  distant  view  is  particu- 
larly fine ;  the  green  and  fertile  plains  of  Lombardy 
stretching  away  from  the  city  walls  in  all  directions  until 
they  meet  the  foot-hills  of  the  Alpine  range,  or  mingle 
with  the  horizon  towards  the  shores  of  the  Adriatic. 
Mont  Blanc,  jMont  Cenis,  IMont  St.  Bernard,  the  Simplon 
Pass,  the    Bernese    Oberland    range,   and    further   to    the 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  209 

northeast  the  long  range  of  the  Tyrolean  Alps,  are  recog- 
nized with  their  white  snow-caps  glittering  in  the  bright 
sunhght.  The  forest  of  pinnacles  beneath  our  feet,  mingled 
with  a  labyrinth  of  ornamented  spires,  statues,  flying  but- 
tresses, and  Gothic  fretwork,  piled  all  about  the  roof,  is  seen 
through  a  gauze-like  veil  of  golden  mist. 

IMilan  has  several  other  churches  more  or  less  interest- 
ing, but  the  visitor  rarely  passes  much  time  in  examining 
them.  No  traveller  should  fail,  however,  to  visit  the  Brera 
Palace,  the  one  gallery  of  art  in  this  city.  It  was  formerly 
a  Jesuit  college,  but  is  now  used  for  a  public  school, 
with  the  title  of  Palace  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  forming 
a  most  extensive  academy,  containing  paintings,  statu- 
ary, and  a  comprehensive  library  of  nearly  two  hundred 
thousand  volumes.  There  is  also  attached  a  fine  botanical 
garden,  exhibiting  many  rare  and  beautiful  exotics  as  well 
as  native  plants.  In  the  gallery  of  paintings  the  visitor  is 
sure  to  single  out  for  appreciation  a  canvas,  by  Guercino, 
representing  Abraham  banishing  Hagar  and  her  child. 
The  tearful  face  of  the  deserted  one,  with  its  wonderful 
expression,  tells  the  whole  story  of  her  misery.  This  pic- 
ture is  worthy  of  all  the  enthusiastic  praise  so  liberally 
bestowed  by  competent  critics. 

No  picture  is  better  known  than  Leonardo  da  Vinci's 
"  Last  Supper,"  millions  of  copies  of  which  have  been 
circulated  in  engravings,  oil  paintings,  and  by  photogra- 
phy. We  find  the  original  in  the  Dominican  monastery, 
where  the  artist  painted  it  upon  the  bare  wall  or  masonry 
of  a  lofty  dining-hall.  It  is  still  perfect  and  distinct, 
though  not  so  bright  as  it  would  have  been  had  it  been 
executed  upon  canvas.  Da  Vinci  was  years  in  perfecting 
it,  and  justly  considered  it  to  be  the  best  work  of  his  artis- 


2IO  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

tic  life.  Tlie  moment  chosen  for  delineation  is  that  when 
Christ  utters  the  words,  *'  One  of  you  shall  betray  me  !  " 
The  artist  said  that  he  meditated  for  two  years  how  best 
to  portray  upon  a  human  face  the  workings  of  the  perfidi- 
ous heart  of  Judas,  and  ended  at  last  by  taking  for  his 
model  the  prior  of  this  very  monastery,  who  was  well 
known  to  be  his  bitterest  enemy  !  The  likeness  at  the 
period  of  its  production  was  unmistakable,  and  thus  per- 
petuated the  scandal. 

We  must  not  fail  to  make  an  excursion  from  Milan  to 
Pavia,  one  of  the  oldest  of  Italian  cities.  It  lies  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Ticino  River,  and  was  in  the  olden  times 
the  residence  of  the  Lombard  kings,  who  did  not  fail  to 
beautify  and  improve  it  in  their  day  to  such  an  extent  that 
it  was  known  all  over  Europe  as  the  "City  of  a  Hundred 
Towers,"  many  of  which  are  extant  and  in  excellent 
preservation.  Though  the  finger  of  time  has  pressed 
heavily  upon  it,  and  its  ancient  glory  has  departed,  still 
Pavia  has  a  population  of  over  thirty  thousand,  and  lays 
claim  to  no  inconsiderable  importance.  If  it  were  not 
a  little  off  the  usual  track  of  travellers,  we  should  hear 
much  more  of  its  associations.  The  university  founded 
here  by  Charlemagne,  over  a  thousand  years  ago,  is  still 
prosperous ;  and  the  famous  church  of  San  Michael, 
erected  at  even  an  earlier  period,  is  still  an  object 
of  profound  interest.  As  we  wander  about  the  quaint 
streets  the  impress  of  antiquity  is  upon  everything  that 
meets  the  eye.  Just  north  of  the  city,  about  a  league 
from  the  walls,  is  the  Certosa,  one  of  the  most  splendid 
monasteries  in  Europe,  founded  about  five  hundred  years 
since.  It  is  absolutely  crowded  with  fine  paintings,  stat- 
uary, mosaics,  and  rich  art    ornamentation.      Private  pal- 


yOURNEYINGS  IX  MAXY  LANDS.  21  I 

aces  abound,  though  now  largely  diverted  from  their 
original  purposes.  There  are  also  theatres,  libraries,  mu- 
seums, gymnasiums,  still  thriving  after  a  moderate  fashion. 
Pavia  looks  backward  to  her  past  glories  rather  than  for- 
ward to  new  hopes.  Sacked  by  Hannibal,  burned  by  the 
Huns,  conquered  and  possessed  by  the  Romans,  won 
by  the  Goths  and  Lombards,  it  was  long  the  capital  of 
what  was  then  known  as  the  kingdom  of  Italy.  Then 
came  a  period  of  fierce  civil  wars,  when  its  history  merged 
in  that  of  the  conquerors  of  Lombardy.  Taken  and  lost 
bv  the  French  so  late  as  1796,  it  was  stormed  and  pillaged 
by  Napoleon,  but  once  more  came  into  the  possession  of 
Austria,  until  it  finally  found  refuge  in  the  bosom  of 
United  Italy.  The  famous  battle  of  Pavia,  which  oc- 
curred in  1525,  when  Francis  I.  was  taken  prisoner,  was 
fousfht  close  to  the  Certosa. 

Our  next  objective  point  is  Vienna,  and  we  take  the 
route  through  Innspruck,  the  capital  of  the  Tyrol,  which 
is  most  charmingly  situated  in  the  valley  of  the  Inn  just 
where  it  joins  the  Sill.  The  town  is  about  two  thousand 
feet  above  sea-level,  and  is  surrounded  bv  mountains  six 
and  eight  thousand  feet  in  height.  It  derives  its  name  from 
the   brids-e  Avhich   here   crosses   the  river  —  Inn's  Briicke 

CI? 

(that  is,  the  Inn's  Bridge).  We  enter  Austria  through  the 
Brenner  Pass,  and  after  a  long  Alpine  journey  of  three  or 
four  hundred  miles  are  very  glad  to  pause  here  both  for 
rest  and  observation.  There  must  be  about  twenty  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  but  the  town  seems  almost  solemnly 
silent.  At  certain  periods  of  the  year,  known  as  "the 
season,"  doubtless  its  two  or  three  large  hotels  are  plenti- 
fully supplied  with  guests.  Historical  associations  are  not 
wanting  ;  among  them  is  the  Franciscan  church  of  Inns- 


212  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

pruck,  containing  the  elaborate  and  costly  monument  to 
the  Emperor  MaximiUan  I.,  which,  though  constructed 
by  order  of  the  monarch  himself,  does  not  contain  his 
remains.  The  structure  consists  of  a  marble  sarcophagus 
supporting  the  emperor's  efhgy  in  bronze  in  a  kneeling 
position,  while  on  the  other  side  of  the  aisle  are  rows  of 
monumental  bronze  figures,  twenty-eight  in  number,  repre- 
senting various  historic  characters.  The  mention  of  this 
unique  group  in  the  old  church  of  Innspruck,  by  the  poet 
Longfellow,  will  be  remembered. 

The  Schloss  Ambras  is  of  considerable  interest,  having 
been  the  favorite  home  of  the  Archduke  Ferdinand  II. 
The  view  from  its  battlements  is  worthy  of  a  pilgrimage  to 
enjoy.  Innspruck  looks  like  a  toy-village,  so  far  below,  upon 
the  plain.  The  broad  streets  of  the  new  portion  of  the 
town  lie  spread  out  as  upon  a  map.  The  three  handsome 
bridges  give  variety  to  the  scene.  The  central  one,  as  the 
guide  will  tell  us,  was  the  scene  of  a  fierce  battle,  in  1809, 
between  the  Bavarians  and  the  Tyrolese.  The  former 
could  not  withstand  the  superior  marksmanship  of  these 
chamois-hunters,  who  picked  off  the  men  at  the  cannon  as 
fast  as  they  came  into  action,  until  the  Bavarians  fled  in 
despair,  abandoning  their  guns. 

On  resuming  our  journey  towards  Vienna,  we  pass  up 
the  constantly  narrowing  valley  of  the  Inn,  through  a  range 
of  mountain  scenery,  covered  with  snow,  and  grand  beyond 
description,  where  Alp  is  piled  upon  Alp,  until  all  distinctive 
outline  is  lost  in  the  clouds  which  envelop  them.  Now  and 
then  we  see  a  rude  but  picturesque  chamois  huntsman  strug- 
gling up  the  mountain  side  in  search  of  the  special  game 
which  is  growing  annually  scarcer  and  scarcer.  There  is  a 
wild  interest  which  actuates  the  chamois-hunter,  amount- 


yOURNEYINGS    IN  MANY  LANDS.  213 

ing  to  fanaticism.  The  country  is  very  sparsely  inhabited, 
but  we  occasionally  come  upon  a  cluster  of  picturesque 
habitations,  quite  theatrical  in  effect,  the  counterpart  of 
the  familiar  pictures  and  photographs  we  see  in  America. 
By  and  by,  after  a  long  day  of  travel,  w^e  reach  Salzburg, 
in  the  Noric  Alps. 

Salzburg  was  the  birthplace  of  Mozart,  and  is  still  a  mu- 
sical place,  that  branch  of  the  fine  arts  being  universally 
cultivated  among  the  more  refined  class  of  inhabitants. 
There  are  several  public  monuments  commemorative  of 
the  great  composer,  who  played  his  own  compositions 
before  the  public  here  at  the  age  of  five  years  !  The  mas- 
sive wall  which  once  surrounded  the  place  is  now  mostly 
dismantled,  and  could  only  have  been  of  use  in  the  Middle 
Ages,  at  which  time  Salzburg  was  probably  in  its  greatest 
state  of  prosperity.  The  manufacture  of  Majolica  ware 
has  been  a  specialty  here  for  a  couple  of  centuries  or  more, 
and  it  has  a  reputation  for  the  production  of  fine  fancy 
leather  goods.  Its  connection  by  rail  with  Vienna,  Mu- 
nich, and  Innspruck  insures  it  considerable  trade,  but  still 
there  is  a  sleepiness  about  the  place  which  is  almost  con- 
tagious. It  was  probably  different  when  the  archbishops 
held  court  here,  at  a  period  when  those  high  functionaries 
combined  the  dignity  of  princes  of  the  Empire  with  their 
ecclesiastical  rank.  It  was  at  this  period  that  the  town 
received  its  few  public  ornaments,  and  the  half-dozen  fine 
public  edifices,  still  to  be  seen,  were  erected. 

In  the  absence  of  statistics  one  would  say  there  was  a 
population  of  fifteen  thousand.  Some  of  the  street  scenes 
are  peculiar.  We  see  single  cows  and  oxen  harnessed  and 
worked  like  horses,  not  in  shafts,  but  beside  a  long  pole. 
The  entire  absence  of  donkevs,  so  numerous  elsewhere  in 


214  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

Europe,  is  quite  noticeable.  The  women  surprise  us  by 
their  large  size  and  apparent  physical  strength  —  quite  a 
necessary  possession,  since  they  seem  to  perform  the  larger 
portion  of  the  heavy  work,  while  their  lazy  husbands  are 
engaged  in  pipe-smoking  and  beer-drinking.  We  see  girls 
and  dogs  harnessed  together  into  milk  and  vegetable  carts, 
which  they  draw  through  the  streets  at  early  morning,  to 
deliver  the  required  articles  to  the  consumers.  When  the 
little  team  arrives  before  a  customer's  door,  the  girl  drops 
her  harness,  measures  out  and  delivers  the  milk  or  vegeta- 
bles, while  the  dog  waits  patiently. 

There  is  no  special  beauty  observable  among  the  female 
population.  The  dark  eyes  and  hair  with  the  lovely  faces 
of  the  South  are  left  behind,  as  well  as  the  soft,  musical 
cadence  of  voice  which  so  charms  the  ear  in  Italy.  German 
is  not  a  musical  tongue.  It  is  a  vigorous  language,  but 
not  a  harmonious  one  in  speech.  Doubtless  there  are 
pretty  blonde  Marguerites  —  like  Goethe's  heroine — hid- 
den away  somewhere  among  the  domestic  circles  of  Salz- 
burg, but  their  long  golden  braids  of  hair  and  their  fair, 
rose-tinted  complexions  are  not  often  seen  in  pubHc. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  21  5 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

UNDOUBTEDLY  Vienna  is  the  finest  city  on  the  Euro- 
pean continent  next  to  Paris,  and  it  is  often  called  the 
Northern  Paris.  It  resembles  the  French  capital  both  in 
its  social  life  and  its  architecture.  The  style  of  the  modern 
buildings  is  very  attractive,  displaying  great  richness  and 
beauty  of  outline,  while  the  charming  perfection  of  detail 
is  by  no  means  neglected.  At  least  one-quarter  of  Vienna 
is  new,  presenting  broad  streets  lined  with  noble  edifices. 
The  Ring  Strasse  is  a  notable  example  of  this,  being  an 
elegant  avenue,  which  takes  the  place  of  the  old  city 
wall  that  once  surrounded  the  town,  but  which  it  has 
long  since  outgrown.  This  metropolis  now  contains  con- 
siderably over  a  million  inhabitants.  It  is  situated  upon 
an  arm  of  the  Danube  where  it  is  joined  by  the  two  small 
streams  known  as  the  Wien  and  the  Alster,  from  the 
former  of  which  the  city  takes  its  name.  Vienna  is  not 
lacking  in  antiquity.  It  was  renowned  in  Roman  times 
two  thousand  years  ago,  and  there  is  an  ancient  aspect 
quite  unmistakable  about  its  western  portion  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Emperor's  palace.  This  imperial  assemblage  of 
buildings,  with  the  broad  court  about  which  they  stand, 
presents  no  claim  whatever  to  architectural  beauty,  being 
exceedingly  heavy  and  substantial. 

One  of  the  principal  attractions  of  the  city  is  its  numer- 
ous parks,  squares,  and  breathing-spots.  Above  all  else  in 
this  regard  is  the  Prater,  situated  on  the  verge  of  the  city, 


2l6  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

forming  one  of  the  most  extensive  pleasure  drives  or  parks 
connected  with  any  European  capital.  It  was  in  this 
park  that  the  famous  exhibition  buildings  were  erected, 
covering  twelve  or  fifteen  acres  of  ground  ;  but  the  Prater 
could  afford  room  for  fifty  such  structures.  All  the  fash- 
ionable citizens,  including  the  royal  family,  come  here 
for  the  enjoyment  of  their  afternoon  drive  or  horseback 
ride.  The  sight  presented  on  these  occasions  is  one  of  the 
very  gayest  conceivable,  recalling  the  brilliancy  of  the 
Chiaja  of  Naples,  the  Maiden  of  Calcutta,  or  the  Champs 
Elysees  of  Paris.  One  does  not  see  even  in  Hyde  Park, 
London,  more  elegant  vehicles  and  horses,  or  more  strik- 
ing liveries  than  on  the  Prater  at  Vienna.  Equestrianism 
is  the  favorite  mode  of  exercise  here,  both  with  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  and  the  Austrians  are  better  horsemen  and 
horsewomen  than  the  English.  Cavalry  ofificers  in  uniform, 
as  well  as  representatives  of  other  arms  of  the  service,  add 
much  to  the  brilliancy  of  this  park  during  the  popular  hour. 
It  is  divided  into  a  broad  driveway,  a  well-kept  equestrian 
track,  and  smooth  walks  devoted  exclusively  to  pedestrians. 
For  spaciousness  as  well  as  attractive  gayety,  the  Prater 
is  scarcely  equalled  —  certainly  not  surpassed  —  by  any 
other  European  driveway. 

There  are  two  noble  palaces  at  Vienna  which  must  not 
be  forgotten ;  namely,  the  Upper  and  Lower  Belvedere. 
They  are  intimately  connected,  though  divided  by  a  large 
and  splendid  garden,  and  together  form  an  art  collection 
and  museum  combined,  only  second  to  the  Uffizi  and  Pitti 
palaces  at  Florence,  and  the  galleries  of  Paris  and  Rome. 
A  simple  list  of  the  pictures  to  be  found  here  would  cover 
many  pages  in  print,  embracing  the  names  of  such  art- 
ists as  Salvator  Rosa,  Giorgone,  Bassano,  Perugino,  Carlo 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  21/ 

Dolce,  Giiido  Reni,  Rembrandt,  Andrea  del  Sarto,  Van 
Dyck,  etc.  All  of  these  paintings  are  high  in  artistic 
merit ;  many  of  them  are  admirable^  and  all  are  beyond 
price  in  money.  Various  schools  are  represented  in  the 
galleries,  and  there  are  among  the  rest  a  hundred  or  so  of 
modern  pictures  ;  but  the  majority  are  by  the  old  masters 
or  their  immediate  pupils.  The  F'lemish,  Dutch,  and 
Spanish  schools  are  especially  well  represented.  The  vis- 
itor will  find  in  the  Lower  Belvedere  a  marvellous  collec- 
tion of  antiquities,  perhaps  the  most  curious  to  be  seen  in 
Europe.  Among  other  departments  of  interest  is  one  in 
which  there  are  over  a  hundred  warriors  of  life  size  clad  in 
complete  armor,  most  of  whom  are  mounted  on  mail-clad 
horses,  all  confronting  the  visitor,  with  visor  down  and 
lance  in  rest.  All  of  these  effigies  are  designed  to  be  like- 
nesses, and  each  is  labelled  with  the  name  of  the  warrior- 
king,  emperor,  or  great  general  he  represents,  while  we  have 
before  us  the  real  armor  and  weapons  which  he  bore  in 
actual  life.  Here  hangs  the  tattered  banner  which  w^as  car- 
ried through  the  Crusades,  and  returned  by  the  hand  of  the 
Archduke  Ferdinand,  beside  hundreds  of  similar  tokens. 

The  Cathedral  of  St.  Stephens,  between  five  and  six 
hundred  years  of  age,  is  of  very  great  interest,  and  forms  a 
rare  example  of  pure  Gothic.  The  Imperial  Library  con- 
tains over  three  hundred  thousand  volumes.  Vienna  has 
all  the  usual  Christian  charitable  institutions,  schools,  and 
progressive  organizations  of  a  great  city  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

From  Vienna  we  continue  our  journey  to  Prague,  the 
capital  of  Bohemia,  a  quaint  old  city,  founded  in  1722  by 
the  Duchess  Libussa,  and  which  has  to-day  nearly  sixty 
thousand  inhabitants.     It  is  crowded  with  historical  monu- 


2l8  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

ments,  ancient  churches,  and  queer  old  chapels,  some  of 
which  are  ornamented  by  frescoes  hardly  rivalled  by  the 
finest  at  Rome  and  Florence.  One  is  here  shown  under- 
ground dungeons  as  terrible  as  those  of  Venice,  and  to 
which  historic  associations  lend  their  special  interest.  It 
would  seem  that  human  beings  could  hardly  exist  in  such 
holes  for  a  month,  and  yet  in  some  of  these,  prisoners  are 
known  to  have  lingered  miserably  for  years.  Prague  was 
remarkable  for  its  institutions  of  learning  and  its  scientific 
societies.  The  university,  founded  by  Charles  IV.  in  1 348, 
had  at  one  time  a  hundred  professors  and  three  thousand 
students.  This  university  enjoyed  a  world-wide  reputa- 
tion, but  all  this  has  passed  away.  There  are  two  or  three 
large  libraries,  a  museum  of  natural  history,  a  school  for 
the  blind,  and  several  public  hospitals.  We  find  here  some 
beautiful  specimens  of  glass  manufacture,  for  which  Bo- 
hemia has  long  been  celebrated,  though  she  is  now  rivalled 
in  this  line  by  both  England  and  America. 

Prasiue  has  had  more  than  its  share  of  the  calamities  of 
war,  having  been  besieged  and  taken   six  times  before  the 

year  1249.  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^''^i"  of  ^^""^  Hussites  it  was  taken, 
burned,  plundered,  and  sacked  with  barbarous  ferocity. 
The  Thirty  Years'  War  began  and  ended  within  its  walls, 
and  during  its  progress  the  city  was  three  times  in  posses- 
sion of  the  enemy.  In  1620  the  battle  was  fought  just 
outside  of  the  city  in  which  Frederick  \.  was  conquered, 
and  after  which  he  was  deposed.  During  the  Seven  Years' 
W^ar  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  different  victors,  and  in  1744 
capitulated  to  Frederick  the  Great  of  Prussia.  Indeed, 
until  within  the  last  half-century  Prague  and  its  environs 
may  be  said  to  have  been  little  better  than  a  constant  bat- 
tle-field.    Seen  from  an  elevated  position  the  city  presents 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  219 

a  very  picturesque  aspect.  A  fine  view  may  be  had  of  it 
from  either  of  the  bridges  which  cross  the  Moldau,  but  a 
more  satisfactory  one  is  to  be  had  from  the  Belvedere,  a 
large  public  garden  situated  on  an  eminence  just  outside 
the  city  proper.  This  garden  forms  a  beautiful  park  and 
is  a  favorite  drive  with  the  citizens.  One  of  the  bridges  is 
called  the  Karlsbriicke  (Charles  Bridge)  ;  the  other  is  the 
Suspension  Bridge,  also  known  as  Emperor  Francis's 
Bridge.  At  the  end  of  the  latter  is  the  memorial  which 
commemorates  the  five  hundreth  anniversary  of  the  found- 
ing of  the  university.  The  niches  on  either  side  are  filled 
with  statues  representing  the  several  sciences,  added  to 
which  are  statues  of  two  archbishops.  The  Charles  Bridge, 
built  of  stone  over  five  hundred  years  ago,  is  the  most 
interesting  of  the  two  bridges,  and  has  its  two  extrem- 
ities protected  by  lofty  towers.  The  arches  of  the  bridge 
are  ornamented  with  groups  of  saints  numbering  thirty  life- 
size  figures.  It  is  not  surprising  that  Prague  appears  in 
decay  ;  but  as  it  is  a  sort  of  half-way  place  between  Dres- 
den and  Vienna,  it  is  insured  a  certain  amount  of  business 
from  travellers  of  all  nations. 

One  prominent  feature  of  Dresden,  the  capital  of  Sax- 
ony, which  strikes  the  stranger,  is  that  the  military  appear 
in  such  large  numbers  everywhere,  in  the  streets,  the 
hotels,  in  the  shops  and  parks.  The  expense  and  waste  of 
supporting  such  large  numbers  of  soldiers  is  enormous. 
The  student  of  art,  music,  and  history  finds  a  rich  field  for 
educational  purposes  here,  where  there  are  so  many  choice 
collections  of  antiquities,  museums,  and  remarkable  paint- 
ings. The  Zwinger  Museum  contains  among  other  treas- 
ures a  collection  of  three  hundred  and  sixtv  thousand 
engraved   plates,   all   of   great   value.     Art   treasures   and 


220  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL:    OR, 

libraries  are  freely  open  to  the  public,  as  in  all  parts  of 
Europe.  Dresden  is  a  busy  city,  commanding  a  large 
trade,  and  containing  over  a  quarter  of  a  million  inhabi- 
tants. Gold  and  silver  manufactures  form  a  laro-e  share  of 
the  industry ;  artificial  flowers,  china  ware,  and  paper 
hangings  also,  constitute  a  large  portion  of  its  extensive 
exports.  The  Royal  Public  Library  contains  four  hundred 
thousand  volumes,  and  is  particularly  rich  in  the  several 
departments  of  literature,  history,  and  classical  antiquity. 
There  are  many  volumes  in  this  Dresden  library  which 
are  not  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  Europe,  and  learned  men 
come  thousands  of  miles  to  consult  them. 

The  Green  Vaults,  so  called  from  the  style  of  the  origi- 
nal decorations,  are  a  portion  of  the  Royal  Palace,  and 
contain  an  extraordinarily  valuable  collection,  belonging  to 
the  State,  consisting  of  works  of  art,  jewels,  royal  regalia, 
etc.,  classified  in  eight  connected  saloons.  One  sees  here  a 
certain  green  stone,  a  most  brilliant  gem,  esteemed  of  great 
value.  Whether  it  be  really  a  diamond  or  an  emerald,  it  is 
intrinsically  of  equal  worth.  The  weight  of  this  rare  gem 
is  forty  carets.  The  Grosse  Garten  is  the  favorite  public 
park  of  the  city,  containing  about  three  hundred  acres  of 
land.  It  is  very  beautifully  laid  out  in  ornamental  sec- 
tions, drives,  walks,  and  groves.  The  historical  associa- 
tions about  this  park  are  interesting,  it  being  the  spot 
where  the  French  and  Prussians  more  than  once  encoun- 
tered each  other  in  battle,  the  last  time  in  1813. 

The  most  attractive  portion  of  this  really  fine  city  is  the 
Theatre  Platz,  about  which  lie  the  principal  objects  of 
interest  to  the  traveller.  Here  are  situated  the  Royal 
Palace,  the  Zwinger  with  its  choice  collections,  and  the 
theatre.     The    old    bridge  over  the  Elbe  is  a  substantial 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  221 

stone  structure.  The  palace  forms  a  large  square  of  spa- 
cious edifices  surmounted  by  a  tower  nearly  four  hundred 
feet  high.  The  principal  picture-gallery  of  Dresden  is  the 
finest  in  Germany,  and  contains  between  three  and  four 
thousand  admirable  examples  of  high  art,  —  the  work  of 
such  artists  as  Raphael,  Holbein,  Corregio,  Albert  Durer, 
Rubens,  Giotto,  Van  Dyck,  and  other  masters  already 
named  in  these  pages.  Among  them  all  the  favorite,  as 
generally  conceded,  is  Raphael's  Madonna  di  San  Sisto, 
believed  to  be  one  of  the  last  and  best  examples  produced 
by  this  great  master.  W^e  are  sure  to  find  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  Americans  residing  in  this  European  capital,  gath- 
ered here  for  educational  purposes  in  art,  literature,  and 
music. 

Berlin,  the  capital  of  Prussia,  contains  about  a  million 
inhabitants,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  cities  of  Europe.  The 
principal  street  is  the  Unter  den  Linden,  and  most  of  the 
objects  of  interest  centre  here  between  the  Royal  Palace 
and  the  Brandenburg  Gate.  This  thoroughfare  is  planted 
in  its  centre  with  four  rows  of  trees,  having  a  capacious 
pedestrian  section,  an  equestrian  road,  and  two  driveways, 
one  on  each  side  of  the  broad  street.  It  resembles  Com- 
monwealth Avenue,  Boston,  both  in  size  and  design, 
though  the  architecture  of  the  American  street  is  far 
superior  to  the  German.  The  Unter  den  Linden  is  a  hun- 
dred and  ninety-six  feet  wide,  and  receives  its  name  from 
the  double  avenue  of  linden  trees  extending  through  the 
centre.  The  street  is  flanked  with  fine  buildings,  a  few 
hotels,  three  palaces,  a  museum,  a  school  of  art,  public 
library,  etc.  At  one  end  is  the  famous  bronze  statue  of 
Frederick  the  Great.  The  Brandenburg  Gate,  where  the 
Linden  commences,  forms  the  entrance  to  the  city  from 


222  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

the  Thiergarten,  and  is  a  sort  of  triumphal  arch,  erected 
in  1789.  It  is  seventy  feet  in  height,  and  two  hundred 
in  width,  being  modelled  after  the  entrance  in  the  gate- 
way of  the  temple  of  the  Parthenon  at  Athens.  It  affords 
five  passage-ways  through  its  great  width. 

This  proud  capital,  six  hundred  years  ago,  was  only  of 
small  importance,  since  when  it  has  grown  to  its  pres- 
ent mammoth  proportions.  Frederick  William  made  it  his 
home  and  started  its  most  important  structures.  Frederick 
I.  added  to  it,  and  so  it  has  been  improved  by  one  ruler  after 
another  until  it  has  become  one  of  the  most  important 
political  and  commercial  centres  in  Europe.  It  is  divided 
by  the  river  Spree,  w^hich  at  this  point  is  about  two  hun- 
dred feet  in  width,  and  communicates  with  the  Oder  and 
the  Baltic  by  canal.  No  continental  city  except  Vienna 
has  grown  so  rapidly  during  the  last  half-century.  The 
late  emperor  did  little  or  nothing  to  beautify  the  capital, 
whose  growth  has  been  mostly  of  a  normal  character, 
greatly  retarded  by  a  devotion  to  military  purposes. 

The  Unter  den  Linden  is  the  charm  of  Berlin,  so  bright, 
shaded,  and  retired,  as  it  were,  in  the  very  midst  of  outer 
noise  and  bustle.  At  nearly  all  hours  of  the  day  the  long 
lines  of  benches  are  crowded  by  laughing,  flaxen-haired 
children,  attended  by  gayly  dressed  nurses,  the  groups  they 
form  contrasting  with  the  rude  struggle  of  business  life 
going  on  so  close  at  hand.  A  regiment  of  soldiers  is  pass- 
ing as  we  gaze  upon  the  scene,  accompanied  by  a  full  band, 
their  helmets  and  bright  arms  glittering  in  the  sunlight ; 
the  vehicles  rattle  past  on  both  sides  of  the  mall  ;  here 
and  there  is  seen  an  open  official  carriage  with  liveried  ser- 
vants and  outriders ;  well-mounted  army  officers  pass  at  a 
hand-gallop  on  the  equestrian  division  of  the  street,  salut- 


yOURNEYlNGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  223 

ing  right  and  left ;  dogs  and  women  harnessed  together  to 
small  carts  wind  in  and  out  among  the  throng,  while  girls 
and  boys  with  huge  baskets  strapped  to  their  backs,  con- 
taining merchandise,  mingle  in  the  scene. 

The  Thiergarten  is  the  grand  park  of  Berlin,  situated 
along  the  banks  of  the  Spree ;  it  is  two  miles  long  by  a 
mile  in  width,  with  an  abundance  of  noble  trees,  well-kept 
drives,  and  clear,  picturesque  lakes.  The  ponds  and  canals 
intersecting  this  park  afford  a  choice  resort  for  the  lovers 
of  skating  in  winter.  In  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
Thiergarten  is  the  famous  zoological  garden  of  Berlin, 
established  nearly  fifty  years  since. 

The  Royal  Palace  is  an  imposing  structure  six  hundred 
and  forty  feet  long  by  about  half  that  width,  and  is  over  a 
hundred  feet  in  height.  It  was  originally  a  fortress,  but  has 
been  altered  by  successive  monarchs  until  it  is  now  a  very 
perfect  royal  residence,  containing  six  hundred  rooms  and 
state  departments. 

We  still  pursue  our  course  northward,  bearing  a  little  to 
the  west,  until  we  reach  Hamburg,  which  contains  some 
three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
important  commercial  cities  on  the  continent.  It  is  not 
only  situated  on  a  navigable  river,  the  Elbe,  —  seventy 
miles  from  its  mouth, — but  is  connected  by  railway  with 
every  part  of  Europe.  Hamburg  was  founded  by  Charle- 
magne a  thousand  years  ago,  the  older  portions  being  dark 
and  dirty ;  but  the  modern  section  of  the  city  is  very  fine 
in  the  size  of  its  streets  and  its  architectural  aspect.  Its 
commercial  connections  with  America  exceed  that  of 
any  other  northern  port,  and  form  its  main  features  of 
business  importance.  Vessels  drawing  eighteen  feet  of 
water  can  ascend  the  Elbe  to  the  wharves  at  high  tide. 


224  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

The  city  is  intersected  by  canals  and  branches  of  the 
Alster  River,  and  was  once  surrounded  by  a  series  of 
ramparts,  but  these  have  been  converted  into  attractive, 
tree-planted  promenades.  The  public  library  of  Ham- 
burg contains  over  two  hundred  thousand  volumes,  and 
there  is  no  lack  in  the  city  of  hospitals,  schools,  colleges, 
churches,  charitable  institutions,  museums,  and  theatres. 
The  botanical  gardens  and  the  zoological  exhibition  are 
remarkable  for  excellence  and  completeness.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  conceive  of  a  more  attractive  sight  than  that 
afforded  by  the  broad  sheet  of  water  in  the  centre  of  the 
town  known  as  the  Alster  Basin,  a  mile  in  circumference, 
bounded  on  three  sides  by  streets  ornamented  liberally 
with  trees,  while  its  surface  is  dotted  with  little  omnibus 
steamers  and  pleasure  boats  darting  hither  and  thither  like 
swallows  on  the  wing.  Snow-white  swans,  tame  and 
graceful,  are  constantly  seen  floating  over  the  surface  of 
this  attractive  city-lake.  The  environs  of  Hamburg  are 
rendered  very  charming  by  pleasant  villas  and  numberless 
flower-gardens,  with  an  abundance  of  ornamental  trees. 

Our  journey  northward  continues  by  railway  and  steam- 
boat via  Kiel,  crossing  an  arm  of  the  Baltic  to  Copen- 
hagen, the  capital  of  Denmark,  situated  on  the  island  of 
Zeeland.  This  city,  which  now  contains  a  population  of 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  was  a  large  com- 
mercial port  centuries  ago,  and  has  several  times  been  par- 
tially destroyed  by  war  and  conflagration.  The  houses  are 
mostly  of  brick,  some  of  the  better  class  being  built  of 
Norwegian  granite,  while  the  newer  portion  of  the  town 
presents  many  examples  of  fine  modern  architecture.  The 
streets  are  of  good  width,  laid  out  with  an  eye  to  regu- 
larity, besides   which    there   are   sixteen   public   squares. 


yoURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LAXDS.  22^ 

Taken  as  a  whole,  the  first  impression  of  the  place  and  its 
surroundings  is  remarkably  pleasing  and  attractive.  As 
one  approaches  the  city  the  scene  is  enlivened  by  the 
many  windmills  in  the  environs,  whose  wide-spread  arms 
are  generally  in  motion,  appearing  like  the  broad  wings  of 
enormous  birds  hovering  over  the  land.  Perhaps  the  ear- 
liest association  in  its  modern  history  which  the  stranger 
is  likely  to  remember  as  he  looks  about  him  in  Copenha- 
gen, is  that  of  the  dastardly  attack  upon  the  city,  and  the 
shelling  of  it  for  three  consecutive  days,  by  the  British 
fleet  in  1807,  during  which  reckless  onslaught  an  immense 
destruction  of  human  life  and  property  was  inflicted  upon 
the  place.  Over  three  hundred  important  buildings  were 
laid  in  ashes  on  that  occasion,  because  Denmark  refused 
permission  for  the  domiciling  of  English  troops  upon  her 
soil,  or  to  withdraw  from  her  connection  with  the  neutral 
powers  in  the  Napoleonic  wars. 

As  in  the  Mediterranean,  so  in  the  Baltic,  tidal  influence 
is  felt  only  to  a  small  degree,  the  difference  in  the  rise  and 
fall  of  the  water  at  this  point  being  scarcely  more  than  one 
foot.  Owing  to  the  comparatively  fresh  character  of  this 
sea  its  ports  are  ice-bound  for  a  third  of  each  year,  and  in 
the  extreme  seasons  the  whole  expanse  is  frozen  across 
from  the  coast  of  Denmark  to  that  of  Sweden.  In  1658 
Charles  X.  of  the  latter  country  marched  his  army  across 
the  Belts,  dictating  to  the  Danes  a  treaty  of  peace  ;  and  so 
late  as  1809  a  Russian  army  passed  from  Finland  to 
Sw^eden,  across  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia. 

The  territory  of  Denmark  upon  the  mainland  is  quite 
limited,  consisting  of  Jutland  only  ;  but  she  has  a  number 
of  islands  far  and  near,  Zeeland  being  the  most  populous, 
and  containing,  as  we  have  shown,  the  capital.     As  a  state 


226  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

she  may  be  said  to  occupy  a  much  larger  space  in  history 
than  upon  the  map  of  Europe.  The  surface  of  the  island  of 
Zeeland  is  uniformly  low,  in  this  resembling  Holland,  the 
highest  point  reaching  an  elevation  of  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet.  To  be  precise  in  the  matter  of  her  domin- 
ions, the  colonial  possessions  of  Denmark  may  be  thus 
enumerated  :  Greenland,  Iceland,  the  Faroe  group  of  is- 
lands, between  the  Shetlands  and  Iceland ;  adding  St. 
Croix,  St.  Thomas,  and  St.  John  in  the  West  Indies. 
Greenland  is  nearly  as  large  as  Germany  and  France  com- 
bined ;  but  owing  to  its  ice-clothed  character  in  most  parts, 
its  inhabitants  do  not  quite  reach  an  aggregate  of  ten 
thousand.  Iceland  is  nearly  the  size  of  our  New  England 
States,  and  has  a  population  of  seventy-five  thousand.  The 
Faroes  contain  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  and  the  three 
West  Indian  islands  united  have  a  population  of  a  little 
over  forty  thousand. 

In  the  year  1880  the  Danish  monarchy  reached  the 
thousandth  anniversary  of  its  foundation  under  Gorm  the 
Old,  whose  reign  bridges  over  the  interval  between  mere 
legend  and  the  dawn  of  recorded  history.  Gorm  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  a  direct  descendant  of  the  famous  Reg- 
nar  Lodbrog,  who  was  a  daring  and  imperious  ruler  of  the 
early  Northmen.  The  common  origin  of  the  three  Baltic 
nationalities  which  constitute  Scandinavia  is  clearly  appar- 
ent to  the  traveller  who  has  visited  Denmark,  Sweden, 
and  Norway.  The  race  has  been  steadily  modified,  genera- 
tion after  generation,  in  its  more  important  characteristics 
by  the  progressive  force  of  civilization.  These  Northmen 
are  no  longer;  the  haughty  and  reckless  warriors  who  rev- 
elled in  wine  drunk  from  the  skulls  of  their  enemies,  and 
who    deemed    death    respectable    only   when  encountered 


yoURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  22/ 

upon  the  battle-field.  Clearer  intelligence  and  culture 
have  substituted  the  duties  of  peaceful  citizens  for  the  oc- 
cupation of  marauders,  and  the  enterprises  of  civilized  life 
for  the  exaggerated  romance  of  sea-rovers.  Reading  and 
writing,  which  were  once  looked  upon  by  them  as  allied  to 
the  black  art,  are  now  the  accomplishment  of  nearly  all 
classes,  and  nowhere  on  the  globe  do  we  find  people  more 
cheerful,  intelligent,  frank,  and  hospitable  than  in  the  three 
kingdoms  of  the  far  North. 

The  Denmark  of  to-day,  typified  by  Copenhagen,  its  cap- 
ital, is  a  great  centre  of  science  and  art.  The  spirit  of 
Thorwaldsen,  the  contemporary  and  brother-sculptor  of 
Canova,  permeates  everything,  and  in  making  his  native 
city  his  heir,  he  also  bequeathed  to  her  an  appreciation  of 
art  which  her  eminent  scientists  have  ably  supplemented 
in  their  several  departments  of  knowledge.  The  Thor- 
waldsen Museum  contains  over  forty  apartments,  ample 
space  being  afforded  for  the  best  display  of  each  figure  and 
each  group  designed  by  the  great  master.  The  ceilings 
are  elaborately  and  very  beautifully  decorated  with  em- 
blematical designs  by  the  best  Danish  artists.  This 
enduring  monument  is  also  Thorwaldsen's  appropriate 
mausoleum,  being  fashioned  externally  after  an  Etruscan 
tomb.  It  contains  only  this  master's  own  works,  and  a  few 
pictures  which  he  brought  with  him  from  Rome.  He  rev- 
elled in  the  representation  of  tenderness,  of  youth,  beauty, 
and  childhood.  Nothing  of  the  repulsive  or  terrible  ever 
came  from  his  hand.  The  sculptor's  fancy  found  expres- 
sion most  fully,  perhaps,  in  the  works  which  are  gathered 
here,  illustrating  the  delightful  legends  of  the  Greek  my- 
thology. No  one  can  be  surprised  at  the  universal  homage 
accorded  to  his  memory  by  his  countrymen. 


228  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

The  Ethnological  Museum  of  the  city,  better  known  as 
the  Museum  of  Northern  Antiquities,  is  considered  to  be 
the  most  remarkable  institution  of  the  sort  in  Europe. 
Students  in  this  department  of  science  come  from  all  parts 
of  the  civilized  world  to  seek  knowledge  from  its  countless 
treasures.  One  is  here  enabled  to  follow  the  progress  of 
our  race  from  its  primitive  stages  to  its  highest  civiliza- 
tion. The  national  government  liberally  aids  all  purposes 
akin  to  science  and  art ;  consequently  this  museum  is  a 
favored  object  of  the  state.  Each  of  the  three  distinctive 
periods  of  stone,  bronze,  and  iron  forms  an  elaborate  divis- 
ion in  the  spacious  halls  of  the  institution. 

This  government  was  the  first  in  Europe  to  furnish  the 
means  of  education  to  the  people  at  large  on  a  liberal 
scale;  to  establish  schoolhouses  in  every  parish,  and  to 
provide  suitable  dwellings  and  income  for  the  teachers. 
The  incipient  steps  towards  this  object  began  as  far  back 
as  the  time  of  Christian  II.,  more  than  three  centuries  ago, 
while  many  of  the  European  states  were  clouded  in  igno- 
rance. Copenhagen  has  two  public  libraries  :  the  Royal, 
containing  over  six  hundred  thousand  books ;  and  the  Uni- 
versity, which  has  between  two  hundred  and  fifty  and  three 
hundred  thousand  volumes. 

Though  Denmark  is  a  small  kingdom  containing  scarcely 
three  million  people,  yet  it  has  produced  many  eminent 
men  of  science,  art,  and  literature.  The  names  of  Hans 
Christian  Andersen,  Rasmus  Rask,  the  philologist.  Oersted, 
the  discoverer  of  electro-magnetism,  Forchhammer,  the 
chemist,  and  Eschricht,  the  physiologist,  occur  to  us  in 
this  connection.  It  is  a  country  of  legend  and  romance, 
of  historic  and  prehistoric  monuments,  besides  being  the 
very  fatherland  of  fairy  tales.     The  Vikings  of  old  have 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  229 

left  their  footprints  all  over  the  country  in  mounds.  It  is 
not  therefore  surprising  that  the  cultured  portion  of  the 
community  is  stimulated  to  antiquarian  research. 

The  Palace  of  Rosenborg,  situated  near  the  centre  of  the 
city,  was  built  by  Christian  IV.,  in  1604.  It  is  no  longer 
used  for  its  original  purpose,  but  is  devoted  to  the  preser- 
vation of  a  chronological  collection  of  the  belongings  of 
the  Danish  kings,  spacious  apartments  being  devoted  to 
souvenirs  of  each,  decorated  in  the  style  of  the  period,  and 
containing  a  portion  of  the  original  furniture  from  the  sev- 
eral royal  residences,  as  well  as  the  family  portraits,  gala 
costumes,  jewelry,  plate,  and  weapons  of  war.  Altogether 
it  is  a  collection  of  priceless  value  and  of  remarkable  his- 
toric interest,  covering  a  period  of  over  four  hundred  years. 
One  is  forcibly  reminded  of  the  Green  Vaults  of  Dresden 
while  passing  through  the  several  sections  of  Rosenborg 
Castle.  Many  of  the  royal  regalias  are  profusely  inlaid 
with  diamonds,  sapphires,  emeralds,  rubies,  and  other  pre- 
cious stones,  forming  all  together  a  value  too  large  for  us 
to  venture  an  estimate.  The  toilet  sets  which  have  be- 
longed to  and  been  in  daily  use  by  various  queens  are 
numerous,  each  set  embracing  a  dozen  pieces  more  or  less, 
made  of  solid  gold,  superbly  inlaid  with  many  precious 
stones.  Among  them  one  is  especially  interested  in  the 
jewelled  casket  of  Queen  Sophia  Amalie,  wife  of  Fred- 
erick III.,  a  relic  inlaid  with  scores  of  diamonds.  Here, 
too,  we  see  the  costly  and  beautiful  bridal  dresses  of  sev- 
eral royal  personages,  all  chronologically  arranged,  so  that 
the  intelligent  visitor  clearly  reads  veritable  history  in 
these  domestic  treasures. 

The  Round  Tower  of  Copenhagen  is  a  most  singular 
structure,  formerly  used  as  an  observatory.     It  consists  of 


230  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

two  hollow  cylinders  between  which  is  a  spiral,  gradually 
inclined  foot-way  leading  from  base  to  top.  It  is  quite 
safe  for  a  horse  to  ascend,  and  the  Empress  Catharine  is 
said  to  have  reached  the  summit  on  horseback.  From  the 
top  of  the  Round  Tower,  the  red-tiled  roofs  of  the  city  lie 
spread  out  beneath  the  eye  of  the  visitor,  mingled  with 
green  parks,  open  squares,  tall  steeples,  broad  canals,  wide 
thoroughfares  and  palaces.  To  this  aspect  is  added  the  mul- 
titude of  shipping  lying  along  the  piers  and  grouped  in  the 
harbor,  backed  by  a  view  of  the  open  sea.  The  Swedish 
coast  across  the  Baltic  is  represented  by  a  low  range  of 
coast-line  losing  itself  upon  the  distant  horizon.  The  ram- 
parts which  formerly  surrounded  Copenhagen  have  been 
demolished,  the  ground  being  now  improved  for  fine 
garden-walks,  planted  with  ornamental  trees  and  bright- 
hued  flowers,  which  add  greatly  to  the  attractive  aspect  of 
the  Danish  capital.  The  former  moats  have  assumed  the 
shape  of  tiny  lakes,  upon  which  swans  and  other  aquatic 
birds  are  seen  at  all  hours ;  and  where  death-dealing  can- 
non were  formerly  planted,  lindens,  rose-bushes,  and  tall 
white  lilies  now  bloom  in  peaceful  beauty. 

No  finer  scenery  is  to  be  found  in  Europe  than  is  pre- 
sented by  the  country  lying  between  Copenhagen  and  El- 
sinore,  composed  of  a  succession  of  forests,  lawns,  villas, 
cottages,  and  gardens,  for  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles. 
Elsinore  is  a  small  seaport,  looking  rather  deserted,  bleak, 
and  silent,  with  less  than  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  From 
out  of  the  uniformity  of  its  red  brick  buildings  there  looms 
up  but  one  noticeable  edifice  ;  namely,  the  Town  Hall, 
with  a  square  tower  flanked  by  an  octagonal  one  built  of  red 
granite.  The  charm  of  the  place  is  its  remarkable  situa- 
tion, commanding  a  view  of  the  Baltic,  with  Sweden  in  the 


JOURNEYING S  IN  MANY  LANDS.  23  I 

distance,  while  the  Sound  which  divides  the  two  shores  is 
always  dotted  with  myriads  of  steamers  and  sailing-vessels. 
The  position  of  Elsinore  recalls  that  of  Gibraltar  and  the 
Dardanelles  as  surely  as  its  name  reminds  us  of  the 
play  of  Hamlet,  and  Shakespeare.  North  of  the  town,  on 
the  extreme  point  of  the  land,  stands  the  famous  castle 
of  Kronborg,  with  its  three  tall  towers,  the  central  one 
overtopping  the  others  to  the  extent  of  some  forty  or  fifty 
feet.  The  tower,  upon  the  most  seaward  corner,  is  devoted 
to  the  purposes  of  a  lighthouse.  The  castle  is  about  three 
centuries  old,  having  been  built  by  Frederick  II.  for  the 
purpose  of  commanding  the  Sound,  and  of  enforcing  the 
marine  tolls  which  were  exacted  from  all  foreign  nations 
for  a  period  of  two  hundred  years  and  more. 

If  you  visit  Elsinore,  the  guide  will  show  you  what  is 
called  Hamlet's  grave,  situated  in  a  small  grove  of  trees, 
where  some  cunning  hands  long  ago  erected  a  rude  mound 
of  stones.  Shakespeare,  who  had  a  most  royal  way  of 
disregarding  dates,  made  Hamlet  live  in  this  place  after 
the  introduction  of  gunpowder,  whereas  if  any  such  per- 
son ever  did  exist,  it  was  centuries  earlier  and  hundreds 
of  miles  farther  north  upon  the  mainland,  in  what  is  now 
called  Jutland.  However,  that  is  not  important.  Do  not 
leave  Elsinore  without  visiting  Ophelia's  fatal  brook  !  To 
be  sure,  this  rivulet  is  not  large  enough  for  a  duck  to  swim 
in,  but  a  little  stretch  of  the  imagination  will  overcome  all 
local  discrepancies. 

Far  back  in  Danish  legendary  story,  a  time  when  history 
fades  into  fable,  it  is  said  there  was  a  Hamlet  in  Northern 
Denmark,  but  it  was  long  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  His 
father  was  not  a  king,  but  a  famous  pirate  chief  who  gov- 
erned Jutland  in  conjunction  with  his  brother.     Hamlet's 


232  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVFL;    OR, 

father  married  the  daughter  of  a  Danish  king,  the  issue 
being  Hamlet.  His  uncle,  according  to  the  ancient  story, 
murdered  Hamlet's  father  and  afterwards  married  his 
mother.  Herein  we  have  the  foundation  of  one  of  Shake- 
speare's grandest  productions. 

The  Sound,  which  at  Copenhagen  is  about  twenty  miles 
wide,  here  narrows  to  two,  the  old  fort  of  Helsingborg  on 
the  Swedish  coast  being  in  full  view,  the  passage  between 
the  two  shores  forming  the  natural  gate  to  the  Baltic. 
There  are  delightful  drives  in  the  environs  of  Elsinore 
presenting  land  and  sea  views  of  exquisite  loveliness,  the 
water-side  bristling  with  reefs,  rocks,  and  lighthouses, 
while  that  of  the  land  is  charmingly  picturesque  with  many 
villas,  groves,  and  broad,  cultivated  meads. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  233 


CHAPTER    XV. 

ONE  day's  sail  due  north  from  Copenhagen,  through 
the  Sound,  —  Strait  of  Katte,  — brings  us  to  Gotten- 
burg,  the  metropoHs  of  Southwestern  Sweden.  The  Strait, 
which  is  about  a  hundred  miles  in  width,  is  nearly  twice  as 
long,  and  contains  many  small  islands.  Gottenburg  is  sit- 
uated on  the  Gotha  River,  about  five  miles  from  its  mouth. 
Though  less  populous,  it  is  commercially  almost  as  impor- 
tant as  Stockholm.  The  deep,  broad  watercourse  which 
runs  through  the  town  to  the  harbor  is  a  portion  of  the 
famous  Gotha  Canal,  which  joins  fjord  (inlet  from  the 
sea ;  pronounced  feord),  river,  lakes  and  locks  together, 
thus  connecting  the  North  Sea  and  the  Baltic.  The  two 
cities  are  also  joined  by  railroad,  the  distance  between 
them  being  over  three  hundred  miles.  The  country 
through  which  the  canal  passes  is  not  unlike  many  inland 
sections  of  New  England,  presenting  pleasant  views  of 
thrifty  farms  and  well-cultivated  lands.  There  are  some 
sharp  hills  and  abrupt  valleys  to  be  encountered  which  are 
often  marked  by  grand  and  picturesque  waterfalls,  wild, 
foaming  rivers,  and  fierce  surging  rapids. 

Gottenburg  is  divided  into  an  upper  and  lower  town,  the 
latter  being  a  plain  cut  up  by  canals,  and  the  former  spread 
over  the  adjoining  hills.  The  town  is  composed  of  two  or 
three  principal  streets,  very  broad,  and  intersecting  one 
another  at  right  angles,  with  a  canal  in  the  centre.  These 
water-ways  are  lined  by  substantial  granite  borders,  with 


234  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;     OR, 

here  and  there  convenient  stone  steps  connecting  them 
with  the  water.  The  spacious  harbor  admits  of  vessels 
drawing  seventeen  feet.  The  citizens  feel  a  just  pride 
in  a  well-endowed  college,  a  large  public  library,  an  ex- 
change, two  orphan  asylums,  a  flourishing  society  of  arts 
and  sciences,  a  large  theatre,  and  two  public  parks.  In 
front  of  the  theatre  is  an  admirable  reproduction  of  the 
Swedish  sculptor  Molin's  famous  group  of  two  figures 
representing  ''the  girdle-duellists"  [these  duellists,  bound 
together,  fought  with  knives],  the  original  of  which 
stands  in  front  of  the  National  Museum  at  Stockholm. 
Gottenburg  is  not  without  a  cathedral  and  numerous  fine 
churches,  nor  let  us  forget  to  speak  of  its  excellent  schools, 
attendance  upon  which  is  compulsory  throughout  Sweden. 
English  is  regularly  taught  in  her  public  schools,  and  is 
very  generally  spoken  by  the  intelligent  people.  Educa- 
tion is  more  general,  and  culture  is  of  a  higher  grade  in 
Sweden  than  is  common  with  the  people  of  Southern 
Europe,  while  music  is  nearly  as  universal  an  acquirement 
here  as  it  is  in  Italy.  The  population  is  frugal,  honest, 
self-helping,  and  in  many  respects  resembles  that  of  Swit- 
zerland. 

The  system  of  inland  communication  by  means  of  the 
Gotha  Canal  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  ever  achieved 
by  man,  when  the  obstacles  which  have  been  overcome 
and  the  advantages  accomplished  are  considered.  Steam- 
vessels,  limited  to  one  hundred  and  six  feet  in  length  on 
account  of  the  size  of  the  locks,  are  carried  hundreds  of 
miles  by  it  across  and  over  the  highlands  of  Southern 
Sweden  from  sea  to  sea.  When  we  see  a  well-freighted 
steamboat  climb  a  mountain  side,  float  through  lock  after 
lock,  and  after  reaching  the  summit  of  the  hills,  descend 
with   equal  facility  towards  the   coast  and  sea-level,  this 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  235 

great  triumph  of  engineering  skill  is  fully  appreciated. 
The  vessels  navigating  the  canal  rise  in  all,  three  hundred 
and  eighty  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Baltic  during  the 
passage  across  country.  At  the  little  town  of  Berg  the 
locks  are  sixteen  in  number,  and  form  a  gigantic  staircase 
by  means  of  which  vessels  are  raised  at  this  point  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet. 

On  the  line  of  the  Gotha  Canal  is  situated  the  famous 
Trollhatta  Falls,  which  are  so  remarkable  as  to  attract  vis- 
itors from  all  parts  of  Europe.  These  falls  consist  of  a 
series  of  tremendous  rapids  extending  over  a  distance  of 
about  two  hundred  yards,  and  producing  an  uproar  almost 
equal  to  the  ceaseless  oratorio  of  Niagara.  This  angry 
water-way  is  interspersed  by  some  well-wooded  islands,  on 
either  side  of  which  the  waters  rush  with  a  wild,  resistless 
power,  tossed  here  and  there  by  the  many  under-currents. 
The  whole  forms  a  succession  of  falls  of  which  the  first 
is  called  Gullofallet,  where  on  both  sides  of  an  inaccessible 
little  island  the  waters  make  a  leap  of  twenty-six  feet  in 
height,  the  rebound  creating  a  constant  cloud  of  feathery 
spray.  Then  follows  the  highest  of  the  falls,  the  Toppo- 
fallet,  forty-four  feet  in  height,  which  is  likewise  divided  by 
a  cliff  into  two  parts,  against  w^hich  the  frantic  waters 
chafe  angrily.  The  next  fall  measures  less  than  ten  feet 
in  height,  followed  a  little  way  down  the  rapids  by  what 
is  called  the  Flottbergstrom,  all  together  making  a  fall  of 
foaming  eddies  and  whirls  equal  to  about  one  hundred  and 
twelve  feet. 

The  marine  shells  which  are  found  in  the  bottom  of 
some  of  the  inland  lakes  of  both  Norway  and  Sweden, 
show  that  the  land  which  forms  their  bed  was  once  cov- 
ered by  the  sea.     This  is  clearly  apparent  in  Lake  Wener 


2^6  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

and  Lake  Welter,  which  are  situated  nearly  three  hundred 
feet  above  the  present  ocean  level.  Complete  skeletons  of 
whales  have  been  found  inland  at  considerable  elevations 
during  the  present  century.  The  oldest  shell-banks  dis- 
covered by  scientists  in  Scandinavia  are  situated  five  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

Sweden  has  comparatively  few  mountains,  but  many 
ranges  of  hills.  Norway  monopolizes  almost  entirely  the 
mountain  system  of  the  great  northern  peninsula,  but  the 
large  forests  of  pine,  fir,  and  birch,  which  cover  so  much 
of  the  country,  are  common  to  both.  Though  iron  is  found 
in  large  deposits  in  Norway,  it  is  still  more  abundant  in 
Sweden,  where  it  is  chiefly  of  the  magnetic  kind,  yielding 
when  properly  smelted  the  best  ore  for  the  manufacture 
of  steel.  It  is  believed  that  there  is  sufficient  malleable 
iron  in  the  soil  of  Sweden  to  supply  the  whole  world  with 
this  necessary  article  for  centuries.  Mount  Gellivare, 
which  is  over  eighteen  hundred  feet  in  height,  is  said  to 
be  almost  wholly  formed  of  an  ore  containing  eighty  per 
cent  of  iron. 

In  approaching  Christiania,  the  capital  of  Norway,  by 
sea  from  Gottenburg,  we  ascend  the  fjord  of  the  same 
name  a  distance  of  seventy  miles.  The  city,  which  is 
built  upon  a  gradual  slope  facing  the  south,  is  seen  to 
good  advantage  from  the  harbor.  No  more  appropriate 
spot  could  have  been  selected  for  the  national  capital  by 
Christian  IV.,  who  founded  it,  and  after  whom  it  is  named, 
than  the  head  of  this  beautiful  elongated  bay.  It  is  the 
seat  of  the  Storthing,  or  Parliament,  and  the  king,  whose 
permanent  residence  is  at  Stockholm,  is  expected  to  reside 
here,  attended  by  the  court,  at  least  three  months  of  the 
year.     With  its  immediate  suburbs,  the  population  of  the 


yOUKNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  237 

city  is  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  Norway  is  practically  a  free  and  indepen- 
dent state  though  it  is  under  the  crown  of  Sweden,  and 
that  the  people  are  thoroughly  democratic,  having  abol- 
ished all  titles  of  nobility  by  enactment  of  the  Storthing  so 
early  as  182 1,  at  which  time  a  law  was  also  passed  forbid- 
ding the  king  to  create  a  new  nobility.  Nevertheless,  the 
thought  occurs  to  us  that  these  are  the  descendants  of  those 
Northmen  of  whom  one  branch,  under  the  name  of  Normans, 
conquered  the  British  Isles,  and  founded  the  very  nobility 
there  which  is  the  present  boast  and  pride  of  England. 

We  find  some  problems  solved  in  Norway  which  have 
created  political  strife  elsewhere.  Though  its  Church  is 
identical  with  the  State,  unlimited  toleration  exists.  There 
is  a  perfect  system  of  political  representation,  and  while  jus- 
tice is  open  to  all,  litigation  is  earnestly  discouraged.  The 
meetings  of  the  Storthing  are  independent  of  the  king,  not 
even  requiring  a  writ  of  assemblage  from  him.  Thus  it 
will  be  seen  that  although  nominally  under  monarchial 
rule,  Norway  is  in  reality  self-governed. 

The  legal  code  of  Norway  is  worthy  of  study,  both  on  ac- 
count of  its  antiquity  and  its  admirable  provisions.  The 
old  sea-kings  or  free-booters,  as  we  have  been  accustomed 
to  consider  them,  had  a  more  advanced  and  civilized  code 
than  any  of  the  people  whose  shores  they  devastated. 
Before  the  year  of  our  Lord  885,  the  power  of  the  law  was 
established  over  all  persons  of  every  rank,  while,  in  the 
other  countries  of  Europe,  the  independent  jurisdiction  of 
the  feudal  lords  defied  the  laws.  Before  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury, the  law  of  Scandinavia  provided  for  equal  justice  to 
all,  established  a  system  of  weights  and  measures,  also  one 
for  the  maintenance  of  roads  and  bridges,  and  for  the  pro- 


238  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

tection  of  women  and  animals  from  abuse ;  subjects  which 
few  other  European  legal  systems  at  that  time  embraced. 
These  laws  were  collected  into  one  code  by  Magnus  VIL, 
about  the  year  1260.  They  were  revised  by  Christian  IV. 
in  1604,  and  in  1687  the  present  system  was  drawn  up. 
So  simple  and  compact  is  it,  that  the  whole  is  contained 
in  a  pocket  volume,  a  copy  of  which  is  in  the  possession 
of  every  Norwegian  family.  Each  law  occupies  but  a 
single  paragraph,  and  all  is  simple  and  intelligible. 

The  commerce  of  Christiania  is  growing  rapidly.  Over 
one  thousand  vessels  enter  and  depart  from  its  harbor  an- 
nually, which,  however,  is  closed  by  ice  three  months  in 
the  year,  though  that  of  Hammerfest,  situated  a  thousand 
miles  further  north  on  the  same  coast,  is  never  frozen, 
owing  to  the  genial  influence  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  —  an 
agent  so  potent  as  to  modify  the  temperature  of  the  entire 
coast  of  Scandinavia  on  its  western  border. 

The  university  founded  here  by  Frederick  VI.  in  181 1, 
is  a  plain  but  massive  structure ;  the  front  ornamented  by 
Corinthian  pillars  of  polished  granite.  It  accommodates 
some  nine  hundred  students,  the  tuition  being  free  to  all 
native  applicants  suitably  prepared.  It  contains  a  noble 
library  of  over  two  hundred  thousand  volumes,  which 
is  freely  open  even  to  strangers  under  very  simple  restric- 
tions. Beneath  the  same  roof  is  an  extensive  museum  of 
zoology  and  geology.  The  city  has  a  naval  and  military 
school,  a  lunatic  asylum,  an  astronomical  observatory,  and 
various  charitable  institutions.  Its  botanical  garden  is 
situated  about  a  mile  from  the  town,  and  contains  among 
other  interesting  and  finely  arranged  specimens,  a  collec^ 
tion  of  Alpine  plants  from  Spitzbergen  and  Iceland. 

The  parliament  house  is  an  imposing  building  of  origi- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  239 

nal  design,  very  pleasing  in  general  effect  and  style, 
facing  the  Carl  Johannes  Square,  the  largest  open  area 
in  the  city.  It  was  finished  in  1866.  The  market-place 
is  adorned  with  a  marble  statue  of  Christian  IV.  Another 
fine  square  is  the  Eidsvolds  Plads,  planted  with  choice 
trees  and  carpeted  with  intensely  bright  greensward.  The 
chief  street  is  the  Carl  Johannes  Gade,  a  broad  thorough- 
fare extending  from  the  railroad  station  to  the  king's  palace, 
halfway  between  which  stands  the  university.  In  a  large 
wooden  building  behind  the  university  is  kept  that  un- 
rivalled curiosity,  the  ''Viking  Ship,"  a  souvenir  of  nine 
hundred  years  ago.  The  blue  clay  of  the  district,  where  it 
was  exhumed  in  1880,  a  few  miles  south  of  Christiania, 
has  preserved  it  all  these  years.  The  men  who  built  the 
graceful  lines  of  this  now  crumbling  vessel,  "in  some 
remote  and  dateless  day,"  knew  quite  as  much  of  true 
marine  architecture  as  do  our  modern  shipwrights.  This 
interesting  relic,  doubtless  the  oldest  ship  in  the  world, 
once  served  the  Vikings,  its  masters,  as  a  sea-craft.  It 
is  eighty  feet  long  by  sixteen  wide,  and  is  about  six  feet 
deep  from  the  gunwale.  Seventy  shields,  as  many  spears, 
and  other  war  equipments  recovered  with  the  hull,  show 
that  it  carried  that  number  of  fighting-men. 

In  such  vessels  as  this  the  dauntless  Northmen  made 
voyages  to  every  country  in  Europe  a  thousand  years  ago, 
and,  as  is  confidently  believed  by  many,  they  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  discovering  North  America  centuries  before 
the  name  of  Columbus  was  known.  Ignoring  the  halo  of 
romance  and  chivalry  which  the  poets  have  thrown  about 
the  valiant  Vikings  and  their  followers,  one  thing  we  are 
compelled  to  admit  —  they  were  superb  marine  architects. 
Ten  centuries  of  progressive  civilization   have  served   to 


240  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

produce  none  better.  Most  of  the  arts  and  sciences  may, 
and  do,  exhibit  great  progress  in  excellence,  but  ship-build- 
ing is  not  among  them.  We  build  bigger,  but  not  finer, 
vessels. 

The  burial  of  this  ship  so  many  centuries  ago  was 
simply  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  those  days. 
When  any  great  sea-king  perished,  he  was  enclosed  in  the 
cabin  of  his  galley,  and  either  sunk  in  the  ocean  or  buried 
with  his  vessel  and  all  of  its  warlike  equipments  upon 
the  nearest  suitable  spot  of  land.  We  are  told  that  when 
a  chieftain  died  in  battle,  not  only  were  his  war-horse,  his 
gold  and  silver  plate,  and  his  portable  personal  effects 
buried  or  burned  with  his  body,  but  a  guard  of  honor  from 
among  his  followers  slew  themselves  that  he  might  enter 
the  sacred  halls  of  Odin  (the  Scandinavian  Deity) 
properly  attended.  The  more  elevated  in  rank  the  chief 
might  be,  the  larger  the  number  who  must  sacrifice  them- 
selves as  his  escort  to  the  land  of  bliss.  So  entire  was 
the  reliance  of  these  Heathens  in  the  demands  of  their 
peculiar  faith,  that  they  freely  acted  up  to  its  extreme 
requirements  while  singing  songs  of  joy. 

A  general  aspect  of  good  order,  thrift,  industry,  and 
prosperity  prevails  at  Christiania.  The  simplicity  of  dress 
and  the  gentle  manners,  especially  among  the  female  por- 
tion of  the  community,  are  marked  features.  No  stranger 
c^n  fail  to  notice  the  low,  sympathetic  tones  in  which  the 
women  always  speak  ;  but  though  decorous  and  worthy,  it 
must  be  admitted  that  the  Norwegian  ladies,  as  a  rule,  are 
not  handsome.  One  sees  here  none  of  the  rush  and  fever 
of  living  which  so  wearies  the  observer  in  many  parts 
of  Southern  Europe.  The  common  people  evince  more 
solidity  of   character  with    less  of   the   frivolities  of   life. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  24 1 

They  may  be  said  to  be  a  trifle  slow  and  phlegmatic,  but 
by  no  means  stupid.  The  most  careless  schoolboy,  when 
addressed  by  a  stranger,  removes  his  hat  and  remains  un- 
covered until  he  has  responded  to  the  inquiry  made  of 
him. 

Upon  visiting  a  new  city  in  any  part  of  the  world,  one 
learns  much  of  the  national  characteristics  of  the  people, 
and  of  other  matters  worth  knowing,  by  mingling  un- 
conventionally with  the  throng,  watching  their  every-day 
habits  and  by  observing  the  stream  of  busy  life  pouring 
through  its  great  thoroughfares.  More  valuable  informa- 
tion is  thus  acquired  than  from  visiting  grand  cathedrals, 
art  galleries,  or  consulting  guide-books.  Years  of  travel 
fatigue  us  with  the  latter,  but  never  with  Nature  in  her 
varying  moods,  with  the  peculiarities  of  races,  or  with  the 
manners  and  customs  of  each  new  locality  and  country. 
The  delight  in  natural  objects  grows  by  experience  in 
every  cultivated  and  receptive  mind.  The  rugged  archi- 
tecture of  lofty  mountains,  the  aspect  of  tumbling  water- 
falls, noble  rivers,  glowing  sunsets,  broad  land  and  sea- 
views —  each  of  these  has  a  special,  never-tiring  and 
impressive  individuality. 

While  enjoying  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Christiania,  from 
the  heights  of  Egeberg,  a  well-wooded  hill  in  the  southern 
suburb,  it  is  dil^cult  to  believe  one's  self  in  Icelandic 
Scandinavia,  —  the  precise  latitude  of  the  Shetland  Islands. 
A  drowsy  hum  like  the  drone  of  bees  seems  to  float  up  from 
the  busy  city  below.  The  beautiful  fjord,  with  its  graceful 
promontories,  its  picturesque  and  leafy  isles,  might  be 
Lake  Maggiore  or  Como,  so  placid  and  calm  is  its  pale  blue 
surface.  Turning  the  eyes  inland,  one  sees  clustered  in 
lovely    combinations    fields    of    ripening    grain,    gardens, 


242  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

lawns,  cottages,  and  handsome  villas,  like  a  scene  upon  the 
sunny  shores  of  the  Maritime  Alps.  An  abundance  of 
trees  enliven  the  view,  —  plane,  sycamore,  ash,  and  elm, 
in  luxurious  condition.  Warmer  skies  during  the  summer 
period  are  not  to  be  found  in  Italy,  nor  elsewhere  outside 
of  Egypt.  As  we  stand  upon  the  height  of  Egeberg  on  a 
delicious  sunny  afternoon,  there  hangs  over  and  about  the 
Norwegian  capital  a  soft  golden  haze  such  as  lingers  in 
August  above  the  Venetian  lagoons. 

The  summer  is  so  short  here  as  to  give  the  fruits  and 
flowers  barely  time  to  blossom,  ripen,  and  fade,  and  the 
husbandman  a  chance  to  gather  his  crops.  Vegetation 
is  rapid  in  its  growth,  the  sunshine  being  so  nearly  con- 
stant during  the  ten  weeks  which  intervene  between  seed- 
time and  harvest.  Barley  grows  two  inches,  and  pease 
three,  in  twenty-four  hours  at  certain  stages  of  develop- 
ment. It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  if  the  barley-seed  be 
brought  from  a  warmer  climate,  it  has  to  become  accli- 
mated, and  does  not  yield  a  good  crop  until  after  two  or 
three  years. 

The  flowers  of  the  torrid  and  temperate  zones,  as  a  rule, 
close  their  eyes  like  human  beings,  and  sleep  a  third  or 
half  of  the  twenty-four  hours,  but  in  Arctic  regions,  life  to 
those  lovely  children  of  Nature  is  one  long  sunny  period, 
and  sleep  comes  only  with  death  and  decay.  It  will  also 
be  observed  that  the  flowers  assume  more  vivid  colors 
and  emit  more  fragrance  during  their  brief  lives  than  they 
do  in  the  south.  The  long,  delightful  period  of  twilight 
during  the  summer  season  is  seen  here  in  perfection,  full 
of  roseate  loveliness.  There  is  no  dew  to  be  encountered 
or  avoided,  no  dampness  ;  all  is  crystal  clearness. 

In  the  rural  districts  women  are  generally  employed  in 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  243 

out-of-door  work,  as  they  are  in  Germany  and  Italy,  and 
there  is  quite  a  preponderance  of  the  sex  in  Norway  and 
Sweden.  As  many  women  as  men  are  seen  engaged  in 
mowing,  reaping,  loading  heavy  carts,  and  getting  in  the 
harvest  generally.  What  would  our  American  farmers 
think  to  see  a  woman  swing  a  scythe  all  day  in  the  hay- 
fields,  cutting  as  broad  and  even  a  swath  as  a  man  can 
do,  and  apparently  with  as  little  fatigue  ?  Labor  is  very 
poorly  paid.  Forty  cents  per  day  is  considered  to  be 
liberal  wages  for  a  man,  except  in  the  cities,  where  a  small 
increase  upon  this  amount  is  obtained. 

Norway  has  been  appropriately  called  the  country  of 
mountains  and  fjords,  of  cascades  and  lakes.  Among  the 
largest  of  the  latter  is  Lake  jMjosen,  which  is  about  sixty 
miles  long  and  has  an  average  width  of  twelve.  It  receives 
in  its  bosom  one  important  river,  the  Longen,  after  it  has 
run  a  course  of  nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  At  its 
southern  extremity  is  the  port  of  Eidsvol,  and  at  the  northern 
is  Lillehammer.  These  are  situated  in  the  direct  route  be- 
tween Christiania  and  Trondhjem.  But  the  most  singular 
fact  attached  to  the  lake  is  that  it  measures  about  fifteen 
hundred  feet  in  depth  while  its  surface  is  only  four  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  ocean.  Its  bottom  is  known  to 
be  nearly  a  thousand  feet  below  that  of  the  adjacent  North 
Sea,  which  would  seem  to  show  that  the  lake  must  be  the 
mouth  of  some  long-extinct  volcano. 

As  to  the  animals  of  Norway,  the  reindeer,  the  bear,  the 
wolf,  the  fox,  and  the  lynx  about  complete  the  list.  The 
ubiquitous  crow  abounds,  and  fine  specimens  of  the 
golden  eagle,  that  dignified  monarch  of  the  upper  regions, 
may  often  be  seen  sailing  through  the  air  from  cliff  to 
cliff,  across  the  fjords  and  valleys.     At  certain  seasons  of 


244  FOOT-PRhXrS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

the  year  this  bird  proves  destructive  to  domestic  fowl 
and  young  lambs.  Magpies  appear  to  be  as  much  of  a 
nuisance  in  Norway  as  crows  are  in  India  or  Ceylon,  and 
quite  as  unmolested  by  the  people.  What  are  called  the 
wild  birds  of  Scandinavia  are  in  fact  quite  tame,  and  they 
are  in  large  variety.  As  the  traveller  passes  through  the 
country,  he  will  observe  sheaves  of  unthreshed  grain  ele- 
vated upon  poles  beside  the  farm-houses  and  barns,  which 
are  placed  there  to  furnish  the  feathered  visitors  with  food. 
These  sheaves  are  frequently  renewed  throughout  the  long 
winters  ;  otherwise  the  birds  would  starve.  The  confiding 
little  creatures  know  their  friends,  and  often  enter  the 
houses  for  protection  from  the  severity  of  the  weather. 
Neither  man,  woman,  nor  child  would  think  of  disturbing 
them,  for  they  are  considered  to  bring  good  luck  to  the 
premises. 

In  a  journey  from  the  capital  to  Trondhjem,  where  the 
coasting  steamer  is  usually  taken  for  the  North  Cape,  we 
cross  the  Dovrefjeld,  or  mountain  table-land.  The  famous 
elevation  called  the  Sneehaetta — "Snow  Hat"  —  forms 
a  part  of  this  Alpine  range,  and  it  is  one  of  the  loftiest 
in  Norway.  It  should  be  remembered  that  one-eighth  of 
the  country  lies  within  the  region  of  perpetual  snow,  and 
that  these  lofty  and  nearly  inaccessible  heights  are  robed 
in  a  constant  garb  of  bridal  whiteness.  No  known  portions 
of  the  globe  have  more  extensive  glaciers  or  snowfields, 
unless,  possibly,  it  be  some  portions  of  Alaska  or  Green- 
land. There  are  glaciers  in  Norway  which  cover  from 
four  to  five  hundred  square  miles,  descending  from  plat- 
eaus three  and  four  thousand  feet  in  height,  down  to  very 
near  sea-level. 

Though  the  highest  point  in  the  peninsula  is  only  about 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  245 

eight  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  —  an  eleva- 
tion which  is  reached  only  by  Jotunfjeld,  or  Giant  Moun- 
tain, —  still  no  highlands  in  Europe  surpass  those  of 
Scandinavia  in  terrific  grandeur.  Mont  Blanc  (Switzer- 
land) is  nearly  twice  as  high  as  this  Giant  Mountain,  but 
being  less  abrupt  is  hardly  so  striking. 

The  elevations  of  Norway  are  intersected  by  deep,  dark 
gorges  and  threatening  chasms,  roaring  with  impetuous 
torrents  and  grand  water -falls,  constantly  presenting  such 
scenes  as  would  have  inspired  the  pencil  of  Salvator  Rosa. 
The  mountain  system  here  does  not  form  a  continuous 
range,  but  consists  of  a  succession  of  table-lands,  like  the 
Dovrefjeld,  and  of  detached  mountains  rising  from  ele- 
vated bases.  The  length  of  this  series  of  elevations  — 
mountains  and  plateaus  —  is  that  of  the  entire  peninsula 
from  the  North  Cape  to  Christiania,  some  twelve  hun- 
dred miles,  which  gives  to  the  mountains  of  Norway 
and  Sweden  an  area  larger  than  the  Alps,  the  Apennines, 
and  Pyrenees  combined  ;  while  the  lakes,  waterfalls,  and 
cascades  far  surpass  those  of  the  rest  of  Europe.  It  has 
been  said,  somewhat  extravagantly,  by  those  familiar  with 
the  geography  of  Scandinavia,  that  could  it  be  flattened 
out  into  plains,  it  would  make  as  large  a  division  of  the 
earth  as  is  now  represented  by  either  of  the  four  principal 
continents. 

The  ratio  of  arable  land  to  the  entire  area  of  Norway  is 
not  more  than  one  to  ten,  and  were  it  not  that  the  support 
of  the  people  came  mainly  from  the  sea,  the  country  would 
not  sustain  one-quarter  of  its  present  population.  Undis- 
mayed, however,  by  the  prevalence  of  rocks,  cliffs,  and 
chasms,  the  people  utilize  every  available  rod  of  land  to 
the  utmost.  The  surroundings  of  many  habitations  seem 
severe  and  desolate,  even  when  viewed  beneath  the  sum- 


246  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

mer  sun  ;  what,  then,  must  be  their  appearance  during  the 
long  and  trying  winters  of  their  frosty  regions  ? 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  on  the  Norwegian  coast, 
farm-houses  surrounded  by  a  few  low  buildings,  perched 
among  rocks  away  up  on  some  green  terrace,  so  high,  in- 
deed, as  to  make  them  seem  scarcely  larger  than  an  eagle's 
nest.  To  anybody  but  a  mountaineer  these  spots  are  in- 
accessible, and  every  article  of  subsistence,  except  what  is 
raised  upon  the  few  acres  of  available  earth  surrounding 
the  dwelling,  must  be  carried  up  there  upon  men's  backs. 
A  few  goats  and  sheep  must  constitute  the  animal  stock, 
added  to  which  are  generally  some  domestic  fowls.  These 
dwellings  are  constructed  of  logs,  cut  in  the  lofty  gulches, 
and  drawn  by  hand  to  the  spot,  one  by  one.  It  would  seem 
that  such  energetic  industry  applied  in  some  inviting 
neighborhood  would  insure  a  more  desirable  result. 


yoURNEYINGS  LV  MANY  LANDS.  24/ 


CHAPTER    XVL 

BERGEN  is  situated  some  two  hundred  miles  northwest 
of  Christiania,  and  may  be  reached  from  thence  by  a 
carriole  (a  peculiar  native  vehicle)  journey  across  the  coun- 
try, over  excellent  roads,  or  by  steamboat  doubling  the  Naze. 
The  latter  route,  though  three  times  as  far,  is  most  fre- 
quently adopted  by  travellers  as  being  less  expensive  and 
troublesome.  Another,  and  perhaps  the  most  common, 
route  taken  by  tourists  is  by  the  way  of  Lake  Mjosen, 
called  the  Valders  route.  It  involves  railroad,  steamer, 
and  carriole  modes  of  conveyance,  and  in  all  covers  a  dis- 
tance of  at  least  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 

Bergen  was  the  capital  of  Norway  when  it  was  under 
Danish  rule,  and  was  even  up  to  a  late  period  the  commer- 
cial rival  of  the  present  capital,  Christiania.  The  town 
rises  from  the  bay  nearly  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  nestling 
at  the  foot  of  surrounding  hills  on  the  west  coast,  between 
those  two  broad  and  famous  arms  of  the  sea,  —  the  Sogne- 
fjord  and  the  Hardangerfjord.  The  first-named  indents  the 
coast  to  a  distance  of  over  one  hundred  miles,  the  latter 
seventy  miles,  —  the  first  being  north,  and  the  last  south  of 
Bergen.  The  excellent  situation  of  the  harbor  and  its 
direct  steam  communication  with  European  ports  gives  this 
ancient  city  an  extensive  commerce  in  proportion  to  the 
number  of  inhabitants,  wdio  do  not  aggregate  over  forty 
thousand.  A  large  portion  of  the  town  is  built  upon  a 
promontory,  between  which  and  the  mainland  on  its  north 


248  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

side  is  the  harbor,  which  is  rarely  frozen  over,  owing  to  the 
influence  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  while  the  harbor  of  St. 
Petersburg  (Russia),  in  about  the  same  latitude,  is  closed 
annually  by  ice  for  at  least  three  months. 

We  see  here  more  of  the  traditional  Norwesfian  customs 
than  are  to  be  met  with  either  at  Gottenburg  or  Christiania. 
Some  of  the  old  men  who  come  from  inland  are  particularly 
noticeable,  forming  vivid  pictures  and  artistic  groups,  with 
their  long,  snowy  hair  flowing  freely  about  face  and  neck 
in  patriarchal  fashion.  They  wear  red  worsted  caps,  open 
shirt-collars,  and  knee-breeches,  together  with  jackets  and 
vests  decked  by  a  profusion  of  silver  buttons.  The  women 
wear  black  jackets,  bright  red  bodices,  and  scarlet  petticoats, 
with  white  linen  aprons.  On  the  street  called  the  Strand- 
gade  many  Norse  costumes  mingle  like  various  colors  in 
a  kaleidoscope. 

The  staple  commodity  of  Bergen  is  dried  fish,  mostly  cod, 
supplemented  by  large  quantities  of  cod-liver  oil,  lumber, 
and  wood  cut  for  fuel.  A  considerable  portion  of  what  is 
called  cod-liver  oil  is  produced  from  sharks'  livers,  which, 
in  fact,  are  believed  to  possess  the  same  medicinal  qualities 
as  those  of  the  cod.  At  all  events,  with  this  object,  sharks 
are  sought  for  along  the  upper  coast  of  Norway,  especially 
in  the  region  of  the  Lofoden  Islands,  and  their  livers  are 
used  as  described.  An  average-sized  shark  will  yield  thirty 
gallons  of  merchantable  oil,  but  this  article  would  not  ob- 
tain a  market  except  under  the  more  popular  name  of  cod- 
liver  oil.  Catching  sharks  is  not  an  employment  entirely 
devoid  of  danger,  as  they  are  large  and  powerful,  often  meas- 
uring twenty  feet  and  more  in  length.  The  shark,  like  the 
whale,  when  it  is  first  struck  with  the  harpoon,  must  be 
given  plenty  of  line,  or  it  will  drag  down  the  fishermen's 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  249 

boat  in  its  rapid  descent  to  deep  water.  Sometimes  the 
struggle  to  capture  tlie  fish  is  a  long  and  serious  one,  as 
it  must  thoroughly  exhaust  itself  before  it  will  yield.  When 
it  is  finally  drawn  to  the  side  of  the  boat,  a  heavy,  well- 
directed  blow  upon  the  nose  completely  stuns  the  crea- 
ture, and  the  capture  is  then  complete. 

There  are  here  some  neat  public  squares,  a  public  park, 
wherein  a  military  band  plays  occasionally,  and  half  a  dozen 
churches.  There  is  also  a  theatre,  royal  palace,  musical 
institute,  public  library,  and  museum  ;  but  there  is  hardly  a 
trace  of  architectural  beauty  in  Norway,  with  the  exception 
of  the  cathedral  at  Trondhjem,  which  is  formed  of  a  mix- 
ture of  orders,  the  Norman  predominating.  The  Church  of 
St.  Mary  at  Bergen  is  only  interesting  for  its  antiquity, 
dating  as  it  does  from  the  twelfth  century.  Its  curious 
and  grotesque  front  bears  the  date  a.d.  i  i  18. 

The  shops  are  filled  with  odd  antique  articles,  mostly  for 
domestic  use,  such  as  old  plate,  drinking-cups,  spoons,  and 
silver  goblets  bearing  the  marks  of  age,  and  the  date  of 
centuries  past.  A  little  experience  is  apt  to  create  doubt, 
in  the  genuineness  of  these  articles,  which,  like  those  found 
in  the  curiosity  shops  of  Japan,  are  very  generally  manu- 
factured in  this  present  year  of  our  Lord,  however  they 
may  be  dated. 

A  drive  of  a  few  miles  inland  upon  the  charming  roads 
in  any  direction  will  fill  the  stranger  with  delight,  and 
afford  characteristic  pictures  of  great  beauty.  The  farmers 
hang  their  cut  grass  upon  frames  of  wood  to  dry,  as  we  do 
clothes  upon  a  rope  on  washing-days.  These  frames  are 
placed  in  the  mowing-fields,  in  rows  of  a  hundred  feet  in 
length  and  a  hundred  feet  apart,  and  are  about  five  feet  in 
height.     Agricultural  tools  used  upon  the  farms  are  of  the 


250  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

most  primitive  character ;  the  ploughs  in  many  parts  of 
the  country  are  single-handed,  and  as  awkward  as  the  rude 
implement  used  for  the  purpose  to-day  in  Egypt.  The 
country  houses  are  low  and  mostly  thatched,  the  roof  being 
often  covered  with  soil,  and  are  not  infrequently  rendered 
attractive  with  blooming  heather  and  little  blue  and  pink 
blossoms  planted  by  Nature's  hand, — the  hieroglyphics  in 
which  she  writes  her  impromptu  poetry.  In  the  meadows 
between  the  hills  are  sprinkled  harebells,  as  blue  as  the 
azure  veins  on  a  delicate  face  ;  while  here  and  there  patches 
of  large  red  clover-heads  are  seen  nodding  heavily  with 
their  wealth  of  golden  sweets.  Further  away,  in  solitary 
glens,  white  anemones  delight  the  eye,  in  company  with 
ferns  of  tropical  variety  in  form  and  color.  The  blossoms 
of  the  multebaer,  almost  identical  with  that  of  the  straw- 
berry, are  abundant.  The  humidity  of  the  atmosphere 
favors  floral  development.  All  through  Scandinavia  one 
meets  these  bright  mosaics  of  the  soil  with  a  sense  of  sur- 
prise, they  are  so  delicate,  so  frail,  creations  of  such  short 
life,  yet  lovely  beyond  compare,  born  upon  the  verge  of 
constant  frost. 

While  rambling  afield  one  meets  occasionally  a  peasant 
who  bows  low,  removing  his  hat  as  the  stranger  passes. 
Without  evincing  the  servility  of  the  common  people  of 
Japan,  they  yet  exhibit  all  their  native  courtesy.  Now  and 
again  the  road  passes  through  pine  forests,  still  and  aromatic, 
the  soil  carpeted  with  leaves,  where,  if  one  pauses  to  listen, 
there  comes  a  low,  undefined  murmur  of  vegetable  and  in- 
sect life,  like  the  sound  that  greets  the  ear  when  applied 
to  an  empty  sea-shell.  Some  wood-paths  are  found  sprin- 
kled with  dog-violets,  saxifrage,  and  with  purple  heart's- 
ease.       Song-birds  are  rarely  to  be  seen  and  one  cannot 


JOURNEYING S  IX  MANY  LANDS.  25  I 

but  wish  for  their  delicious  notes  amid  such  suggestive 
surroundings. 

The  country  lying  between  Bergen  and  Christiania,  and 
indeed  nearly  every  part  of  Norway,  presents  great  attrac- 
tions to  the  angler,  who  must,  however,  go  prepared  to 
rough  it :  but  if  he  be  a  true  lover  of  the  sport,  this  will 
enhance  rather  than  detract  from  the  pleasure.  The  coun- 
try is  thinly  inhabited,  and  affords  only  rude  accommoda- 
tions for  the  wandering  pedestrian  who  does  not  confine 
himself  to  the  regular  post-route.  The  lakes,  rivers,  and 
streams,  swarm  with  trout,  grayling,  and  salmon. 

Strangers  visit  with  more  than  passing  interest  the  ad- 
mirable free  school  for  girls,  which  is  established  at  Bergen. 
Here  girls  from  eight  to  sixteen  years  of  age  are  taught 
the  domestic  industries  practically,  under  circumstances 
void  of  every  onerous  regulation,  and  they  are  to  be  seen 
in  cheerful  groups  at  work  upon  all  sorts  of  garments, 
supervised  by  competent  teachers  of  their  own  sex. 
Possessed  of  these  prudential  and  educational  apprecia- 
tions, it  is  not  surprising  that  Bergen  has  sent  forth  some 
eminent  representatives  in  science,  art,  and  literature. 
Among  these  we  recall  the  names  of  Ole  Bull,  the  famous 
musician;  Ludwig  Holberg,  the  accomplished  traveller; 
Johann  Welhaven,  the  Norse  poet ;  and  J.  C.  C.  Dahl,  the 
celebrated  painter. 

Trondhjem  is  situated  on  a  fjord  of  the  same  name  oc- 
cupying a  peninsula  formed  by  the  river  Nid,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  picturesque  scenery.  A  delightful  view  of  the 
town  and  its  environs  may  be  had  from  the  old  fort  of 
Kristiansten.  Here  resided  the  kings  of  Norway  in  the 
olden  time.  It  is  now  a  thriving  but  small  city,  having  a 
population  of  about  twenty-five  thousand,  and  is  the  seat  of 


252  FOOT-PRINTS    OF    TRAVEL;     OR, 

a  bishopric.  There  is  here  an  academy  of  sciences,  a 
museum,  and  a  pubUc  Hbrary.  The  Cathedral  of  St.  Olaf 
is  famous,  being  the  finest  Gothic  edifice  in  Scandinavia, 
and  the  only  local  object  of  special  interest.  In  the 
eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries  the  kings  of  Norway  were 
buried  here. 

Trondhjem  was  founded  about  a  thousand  years  ago  by 
King  Olaf  Trygvason,  upon  the  site  of  a  much  older  city 
named  Nidaros,  but  there  is  certainly  nothing  visible  to 
indicate  its  great  antiquity.  The  adventurous  life  of  King 
Olaf,  which  occurs  to  us  in  this  connection,  may  be  out- 
lined in  a  few  words,  and  is  more  romantic  than  that  of 
any  other  ruler  of  Norway  which  is  generally  known.  Born 
a  prince,  he  barely  escaped  assassination  in  childhood  at 
the  hands  of  the  usurper  of  his  rights,  by  fleeing  from  the 
country  in  charge  of  his  mother.  They  were  captured  at 
sea  by  pirates,  separated,  and  sold  into  slavery.  Then  fol- 
lowed a  period  of  deprivation  and  hardship  ;  but  at  a  com- 
paratively early  age  Olaf  was  discovered  and  ransomed  by 
a  relative  who  had  never  ceased  to  search  for  the  missins^ 
youth.  He  soon  after  became  a  distinguished  sea-king, 
of  that  class  whom  we  call  pirates.  His  career  in  this 
field  of  adventure  is  represented  to  have  been  one  of  dar- 
ing and  reckless  hardihood,  characterized  by  merciless  ag- 
gression and  great  success.  Finally  Olaf  married  an  Irish 
princess,  embraced  Christianity,  and  fought  his  way  to  the 
throne  of  Norway,  assuming  the  crown  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  991.  From  this  time  he  became  a  zealous  mis- 
sionary, propagating  his  faith  by  the  sword,  and  like  many 
other  religious  zealots  he  was  guilty  of  outrageous  cruelty. 
Seven  years  subsequent  to  the  last-named  date  he  de- 
stroyed the  Pagan  temples  of  Thor  and  Odin  at  Trondhjem. 


JOURNEVINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  253 

Upon  the  site  of  this  temple  he  built  a  Christian  church, 
making  the  city  his  seat  of  government,  and  so  it  remained 
the  capital  down  to  the  union  with  Denmark.  Olaf  was 
slain  in  battle  while  fighting  for  his  throne,  and  was  de- 
clared a  saint  by  the  Church,  his  tomb  at  Trondhjem  being 
a  Mecca  for  pious  pilgrims  from  all  parts  of  Europe  for 
centuries.  In  such  veneration  were  the  memory  and 
services  of  this  reformed  pirate  held  by  a  certain  class  of 
religionists,  that  churches  were  erected  in  his  name  at 
Constantinople  and  elsewhere.  His  ashes  lie  entombed 
beneath  the  present  cathedral  of  Trondhjem. 

A  short  walk  from  the  town  brings  one  to  Hlade,  where 
stands  the  castle  of  the  infamous  Jarl  Hakon,  whence,  in 
the  olden  time,  he  ruled  over  the  surrounding  country  with 
an  iron  hand.  He  was  a  savage  heathen,  believing  in  and 
practising  human  sacrifices,  evidences  of  which  are  still 
extant.  About  a  mile  from  the  town,  in  the  fjord,  is  the 
island  of  Munkholm,  once  the  site  of  a  Benedictine  mon- 
astery, as  its  name  indicates,  and  which  was  erected  in 
1028.  The  mouldering  and  moss-grown  base  of  one  of  its 
towers  is  all  that  now  remains.  Victor  Hugo  gives  a 
graphic  description  of  this  spot  in  his  book  entitled  "  Han 
dTslande."  Here  the  famous  minister  of  Christian  V., 
Griffenfeldt  by  name,  was  confined  for  a  period  of  many 
weary  years.  He  was  guilty  of  no  crime,  his  incarcera- 
tion being  the  result  of  political  intrigue.  When  he  was 
finally  brought  to  the  scaffold  for  execution,  a  messenger 
interrupted  the  headsman  at  the  last  moment  and  an- 
nounced a  pardon  from  the  king.  ''  The  pardon,"  said 
the  worn-out  sufferer,  ''  is  severer  than  the  penalty." 

The  usual  route  of  those  who  seek  to  gain  a  view  of  the 
-'  midnight  sun  "  —  that  is,  of  witnessing  the  phenomenon 


2  54  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OF, 

of  the  sun  passing  round  the  horizon  without  sinking  be- 
neath it  —  is  to  depart  from  Trondhjem  by  sea,  for  the 
North  Cape,  skirting  the  ironbound  coast  for  a  distance  of 
about  seven  hundred  miles. 

As  we  sail  northward,  the  rapid  lengthening  of  the  days 
becomes  more  and  more  apparent.  At  Lund,  in  the  ex- 
treme south  of  Sweden,  the  longest  day  experienced  is 
seventeen  hours  and  a  half;  at  Stockholm,  two  hundred 
miles  further  north,  the  longest  day  of  the  year  is  eighteen 
hours  and  a  half  ;  at  Bergen,  in  Norway,  three  hundred 
miles  north  of  Lund,  the  longest  day  is  twenty-one  hours. 
Above  this  point  of  latitude  to  the  North  Cape,  there  is 
virtually  no  night  at  all  during  the  brief  summer  season, 
as  the  sun  is  visible,  or  nearly  so,  for  the  whole  twenty- 
four  hours.  From  early  in  May  until  about  the  first  of 
August,  north  of  Trondhjem,  the  stars  take  a  vacation,  or 
at  least  they  are  not  visible,  while  the  moon  is  so  pale  as 
to  give  no  light.  Even  the  Great  Bear  puts  by  his  seven 
lustres,  and  the  diamond  belt  of  Orion  is  unseen.  But  the 
heavenly  lamps  revive  by  the  first  of  September,  and  after 
a  short  period  are  supplemented  by  the  marvellous  and  beau- 
tiful radiations  of  the  Aurora  Borealis,  or  Northern  Lights. 
Winter  now  sets  in,  the  sun  disappears  entirely  from  sight, 
and  night  reigns  supreme,  the  heavens  shining  only  with  a 
subdued  light.  Were  it  not  for  the  brilliancy  of  the 
Auroral  light  the  fishermen  could  hardly  pursue  their  win- 
ter business,  that  being  the  harvest  time  with  them,  and 
midnight  is  considered  to  be  the  best  period  of  the  twenty- 
four  hours  for  successful  fishing  in  these  regions.  In 
and  about  Lofoden  Islands  alone,  five  thousand  boats  are 
thus  regularly  employed,  giving  occupation  to  twenty 
thousand  men  in  the  boats  and  a  couple  of  thousand  on 
the  shore. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN- MANY  LANDS.  255 

The  coast  of  Norway  is  bordered  by  innumerable  rocky 
islands,  and  also  by  deep  fjords,  winding  inland  from  ten 
to  fifty  miles  each,  among  masses  of  rock  forming  perpen- 
dicular walls  often  towering  a  thousand  feet  or  more  in 
heisiht.  The  turbulent  waves  of  the  North  Atlantic  and 
Arctic  Oceans,  hurled  against  the  coast  for  thousands  of 
years,  have  steadily  worn  into  the  land  and  thus  formed 
these  remarkable  fjords  ;  or  perhaps  after  they  were  begun 
by  volcanic  or  glacial  action,  the  wearing  of  the  waters  has 
gradually  brought  about  their  present  condition.  The 
coast  of  Sweden,  on  the  other  hand,  is  formed  by  the 
Baltic  Sea  and  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia,  both  of  which  are 
inland  waters,  and  though  there  are  many  islands  on  the 
Swedish  coast,  there  are  no  fjords  worthy  of  mention.  Not- 
withstanding that  the  extreme  length  of  Norway,  from 
north  to  south,  is  hardly  twelve  hundred  miles,  yet  so 
numerous  and  extensive  are  these  peculiar  arms  of  the 
sea,  that  its  coast-line  is  estimated  to  measure  over  three 
thousand  miles,  which  gives  to  these  deep  indentures 
altogether  a  length  of  eighteen  hundred  miles. 

The  peninsula  known  as  Scandinavia  is  composed  of 
Norway,  Sweden,  and  a  small  portion  of  the  Russian  pos- 
sessions in  the  northeast.  This  division  of  country  sup- 
ports a  population  of  little  less  than  seven  millions,  and 
contains  in  round  numbers  three  hundred  thousand  square 
miles.  The  mountains  of  this  section  of  the  globe  are 
mostly  of  primitive  rock,  presenting  as  near  as  possible  the 
same  form  as  when  they  were  first  solidified,  standing  forth 
as  tangible  evidence  of  the  great  antiquity  of  this  region. 

In  her  course  northward  the  steamer,  upon  which  we 
embarked  at  Trondhjem,  winds  in  and  out  among  the 
many  islands   and  fjords,  touching   occasionally  at   small 


256  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

settlements  on  the  mainland  to  discharge  light  freight 
and  to  land  or  to  take  an  occasional  passenger.  The  few 
persons  who  come  from  the  little  cluster  of  houses,  which 
are  not  sufficient  in  number  to  be  called  a  village,  are 
found  to  be  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  and  many 
of  them  speak  English  fluently.  Even  in  these  sparsely 
inhabited  regions  education  is  provided  for  by  what  is 
termed  the  "  ambulatory  system  "  ;  that  is,  one  able  teacher 
instructs  the  youth  of  three  or  four  neighboring  districts, 
meeting  the  convenience  of  all  by  suitable  variations  re- 
garding time  and  place  in  holding  school  sessions. 

There  is  but  one  day  in  the  year  when  the  phenomenon 
of  the  midnight  sun  can  be  seen  at  the  imaginary  line 
which  we  designate  as  the  Arctic  Circle,  a  point  in  the 
watery  waste  or  on  the  land,  twenty-three  degrees  and 
twenty-eight  minutes  from  the  North  Pole ;  but  by  sailing 
some  three  hundred  miles  further  northward,  to  the  North 
Cape,  the  projecting  point  of  the  extreme  north  of  Nor- 
way, it  may  be  observed  under  favorable  circumstances 
—  that  is,  when  not  obscured  by  clouds  —  for  over  two 
months,  dating  from  the  middle  of  May.  Soon  after 
entering  the  Arctic  Circle,  fourteen  hundred  and  eight 
geographical  miles  from  the  North  Pole,  a  singularly 
formed  island  is  observed,  called  by  the  natives  Hest- 
mando,  or  Horseman's  Island, — a  rocky  and  mountainous 
formation  of  some  two  thousand  feet  in  height,  more  or 
less.  On  approaching  the  island  from  the  west,  by  aid 
of  the  imagination  one  can  discern  the  colossal  figure  of 
a  horseman  wrapped  in  his  cloak  and  mounted  upon  a 
charger.  The  island  forms  a  well-known  landmark  for 
seamen  navigating  the  coast.  It  is  believed  that  the 
summit  has  never  been  reached  by  human  feet. 


yOURNEYINGS   IN  MANY  LANDS.  257 

We  touch  on  our  way  at  the  little  fishing-village  of 
Bodoe.  Louis  Philippe  lived  here  for  a  brief  period  when 
travelling  as  an  exile  under  the  name  of  Miiller,  and 
visitors  are  shown  the  room  which  he  occupied.  It  is  the' 
chief  town  of  Nordland,  and  has  fifteen  hundred  inhabi- 
tants. After  leaving  Bodoe  the  course  of  the  steamer  is 
directly  across  the  Vestfjord  to  the  group  of  the  Lofoden 
Islands.  Owing  to  the  remarkable  clearness  of  the  at- 
mosphere as  seen  from  Bodoe,  they  appear  to  be  about 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  away  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon, 
though  the  real  distance  is  about  fifty.  The  play  of  light 
and  shade  is  here  so  different  from  that  of  lower  latitudes 
that  distances  are  very  deceptive. 

A  little  to  the  westward  of  the  steamer's  course  in 
coming  from  the  mainland  lies  the  famous  whirlpool  known 
as  the  Maelstrom,  the  subject  of  many  a  romantic  and 
wild  conjecture  which  lives  in  the  memory  of  us  all.  At 
certain  stages  of  the  wind  and  tide  a  fierce  eddy  is  formed 
here  which  is  somewhat  dangerous  for  small  boats  to 
cross,  but  the  presumed  risk  to  vessels  of  the  size  of  the 
coasting-craft  usually  employed  here,  is  an  error.  At  some 
stages  of  the  tide  it  is  difficult  to  even  detect  the  exact 
spot  which  is  at  other  times  so  disturbed.  Thus  we  find 
that  another  legend  of  the  credulous  past  has  but  a  very 
thin  substratum  of  fact  for  its  foundation.  The  tragedies 
recorded  in  connection  with  the  Venetian  Bridge  of  Sighs 
are  proven  to  be  without  reliable  foundation  ;  the  episode 
of  Tell  and  the  apple  is  not  historical,  but  a  poetical  fabri- 
cation ;  and  now  we  know  that  neither  ships  nor  whales 
were  ever  drawn  into  the  Norwegian  Maelstrom  to  their 
destruction.  There  are  several  other  similar  rapids  in  and 
about  these  pinnacled  islands,   identical  in   their  nature, 


258  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

though  the  one  here  referred  to  is  the  most  restless  and 
formidable. 

On  close  examination  the  Lofodens  are  found  to  consist 
of  a  maze  of  irregular  mountain-peaks  and  precipices,  often 
between  two  and  three  thousand  feet  in  height,  the  pas-- 
sage  between  them  being  very  tortuous,  winding  amid 
straits  interspersed  with  hundreds  of  rocky  islets  which 
are  the  home  of  large  flocks  of  sea-birds.  Dwarf-trees, 
small  patches  of  green  grass,  and  velvety  moss  grow  near 
the  water's  edge,  and  carpet  here  and  there  a  few  acres 
of  soil,  but  the  high  ridges  are  bleak  and  bare  rock,  cov- 
ered in  spots  with  never-melting  snow.  These  islands 
are  composed  mainly  of  granite,  and  for  wonderful  peaks 
and  oddly  pointed  shapes,  deep  and  far-reaching  gulches, 
are  unequalled  elsewhere.  It  seems  marvellous  that  a 
steamer  can  be  safely  navigated  through  such  narrow  pas- 
sages and  among  such  myriads  of  sunken  rocks.  These 
elevations  from  beneath  the  sea  vary  from  mere  turtle- 
backs,  as  sailors  call  them,  just  visible  above  the  water, 
to  mountains  with  sky-kissing  peaks.  For  a  vessel  to  run 
upon  one  of  these  low  hummocks  would  simply  be  destruc- 
tion, as  the  water  alongside  of  them  is  rarely  less  than 
two  or  three  hundred  fathoms  in  depth. 

The  total  length  of  these  remarkable  islands  is  about  a 
hundred  and  thirty  miles,  and  the  area  is  computed  at 
fifteen  hundred  and  sixty  square  miles.  The  population 
will  not  vary  much  from  twenty  thousand,  and  the  entire 
occupation  of  the  people  is  fishing,  curing  the  fish,  and 
shipping  them  southward. 

The  hardy  fishermen  work  nearly  all  winter  at  their 
rough  occupation,  braving  the  tempestuous  Northern  Ocean 
in  frail,   undecked  boats,  which  to  an  inexperienced   eye 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  259 

seem  to  be  utterly  unfit  for  such  exposed  service.  The 
harvest  time  to  the  cod-fishers  here  is  from  January  to  the 
middle  of  April.  Casualties,  of  course,  are  more  or  less 
frequent,  but  do  not  exceed  those  encountered  by  our  fisher- 
men on  the  banks  of  Newfoundland.  In  the  year  1848,  a 
terrible  hurricane  visited  the  Lofodens,  and  in  a  few  hours 
swept  over  five  hundred  fishermen  into  eternity.  The  men 
engaged  in  this  service  come  from  all  parts  of  Norway,  re- 
turning to  their  homes  in  summer  and  engaging  in  other 
occupations. 

As  we  leave  the  group  and  steer  towards  the  mainland, 
it  is  remembered  that  the  coast  of  Norway  extends  three 
hundred  miles  north  of  the  Arctic  Circle,  projecting  itself 
boldly  into  the  Polar  Sea.  Two  hundred  miles  and  more 
of  this  distance  is  north  of  the  Lofoden  Islands.  Now 
and  then  portions  of  country  are  passed  on  the  main- 
land, affording  striking  and  beautiful  landscape  effects, 
where  valleys  open  towards  the  sea,  presenting  views 
sometimes  capped  by.  glaciers  high  up  towards  the  over- 
hanging sky,  where  they  form  immense  level  fields  of  ice 
embracing  hundreds  of  square  miles. 

The  varied  and  ever  present  attractions  of  Norway  to 
the  artist  are  many,  and  in  a  great  measure  they  are 
unique,  especially  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
west  coast.  No  two  of  the  many  abrupt  elevations 
resemble  each  other.  All  are  peculiar ;  some  like  Alpine 
cathedrals  rear  their  fretted  spires  far  heavenward,  where 
they  echo  the  hoarse  anthems  played  by  the  winter's 
storms.  One  would  think  that  Nature  in  a  wayward  mood 
had  tried  her  hand  sportively  at  architecture,  sculpture, 
and  castle-building,  constructing  now  a  high  monumental 
column  or  a  mounted  warrior,  and  now  a  Gothic  fane  amid 


260  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

regions  strange,  lonely,  and  savage.  There  are  grand  moun- 
tains and  glaciers  in  Switzerland  and  other  countries,  but 
they  do  not  rise  directly  out  of  the  water  as  they  often 
do  in  Scandinavia ;  and  as  to  the  scenery  afforded  by  the 
innumerable  fjords  winding  inland  amid  forests,  cliffs,  and 
impetuous  waterfalls,  nowhere  else  can  we  find  such 
remarkable  scenes. 

Like  rivers,  and  yet  so  unlike  them  in  width,  depth,  and 
placidity,  with  their  broad  mouths  guarded  by  clustering 
islands,  one  can  find  nothing  in  nature  more  grand,  sol- 
emn, and  impressive  than  a  Norwegian  fjord.  Now  and 
again  the  shores  are  lined  for  short  distances  by  the  green- 
est of  green  pastures,  dotted  with  little  red  houses  and 
groups  of  domestic  animals,  forming  charming  bits  of 
verdant  foreground  backed  by  dark  and  shadowy  gorges. 
Down  precipitous  cliffs  leap  cascades  which  are  fed  by 
ice-fields  hidden  in  the  lofty  mountains.  These  are  not 
merely  pretty  spouts,  like  many  a  little  Swiss  device,  but 
grand,  plunging,  restless  torrents,  conveying  heavy  volumes 
of  foaming  water. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  26 1 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

As  we  advance  northward,  our  experiences  become 
more  and  more  peculiar.  It  seems  as  if  humanity, 
like  nature,  is  possessed  by  a  certain  sleeplessness  in  these 
regions  during  the  constant  reign  of  daylight.  People  are 
wide  awake  and  busy  at  their  various  occupations  during  all 
hours,  while  the  drowsy  god  appears  to  have  departed  on  a 
vacation  to  the  southward.  The  apparent  incongruity  of 
starting  upon  a  fresh  enterprise  at  midnight  is  only  realized 
on  consulting  one's  watch. 

All  along  the  coast  the  birds  are  nearly  as  numerous  as 
the  fishes,  and  many  islands  are  solely  occupied  by  them 
as  breeding-places.  Their  numbers  are  beyond  calcula- 
tion, consisting  of  petrels,  swans,  geese,  pelicans,  auks, 
gulls,  and  divers.  These  last  are  more  particularly  of  the 
duck  family,  of  which  there  are  over  thirty  distinct  species 
in  and  about  this  immediate  region.  Curlews,  ptarmigans, 
cormorants,  and  ospreys  are  also  seen  in  greater  or  less 
numbers. 

The  steamer  lands  us  for  a  few  hours  at  Tromsoe,  a 
small  island  in  latitude  69°  38'  north,  a  thriving  place  of 
six  thousand  inhabitants,  a  goodly  number  for  a  town 
within  the  Arctic  Circle.  It  is  the  capital  of  Norwegian 
Lapland.  Both  to  the  north  and  south  of  the  town  snow- 
clad  mountains  shut  off  distant  views.  During  the  winter 
months  there  are  only  four  hours  of  daylight  here  out  of 
the  twenty-four,  —  that  is,  from  about  ten  o'clock  a.m.  until 


262  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

two  o'clock  P.M., — but  the  long  nights  are  made  compara- 
tively light  by  the  glowing  splendor  of  the  Aurora  Borealis. 
The  birch-trees  in  and  about  Tromsoe  are  of  a  remarkably 
developed  species,  and  form  a  marked  feature  of  the  place. 

Just  outside  of  the  town  a  field  is  seen  golden  with  but- 
tercups, making  it  difficult  to  realize  that  we  are  in  the 
Arctic  regions.  A  pink-blooming  heather  also  covers 
other  fields,  and  we  are  surprised  by  a  tiny  cloud  of  but- 
terflies, so  abundant  in  the  warm  sunshine,  and  present- 
ing such  transparency  of  color  as  to  suggest  the  idea  that 
a  rainbow  has  been  shattered,  and  is  floating  in  myriad 
particles  in  the  air. 

The  short-lived  summer  perhaps  makes  flowers  all  the 
more  carefully  tended.  In  the  rudest  domestic  quarters  a 
few  pet  plants  are  seen  whose  arrangement  and  nurture 
show  womanly  care.  Every  window  in  the  humble  dwell- 
ings has  its  living  screen  of  drooping,  many-colored  fuch- 
sias, geraniums,  forget-me-nots,  and  monthly  roses.  The 
ivy  is  especially  prized  here,  and  is  picturesquely  trained 
to  hang  about  the  window-frames.  The  fragrant  sweet- 
pea,  with  its  snow-white  and  peach-blossom  hues,  is  often 
mingled  prettily  with  the  dark  green  of  the  ivy,  the  climb- 
ing propensities  of  each  making  them  fitting  mates.  Surely 
there  must  be  an  innate  sense  of  refinement  among  the  peo- 
ple of  these  frost-imbued  regions,  whatever  their  seeming, 
when  they  are  actuated  by  such  delicate  tastes. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  subjects  of  study  to  the 
traveller  on  the  journey  northward  is  to  mark  his  progress 
by  the  products  of  the  forest.  The  trees  will  prove,  if  in- 
telligently observed,  a  means  of  fixing  his  position.  From 
the  region  of  the  date  and  the  palm  we  come  to  that  of  the 
fig  and  the  olive;  thence  to  the  orange,  the  almond,  and 


yOURiVEYLYGS  IN  MAXY  LANDS.  263 

the  myrtle.  Succeeding  these  we  find  the  wahiut,  the 
poplar,  and  the  lime  ;  and  again  there  comes  the  region  of 
the  elm,  the  oak,  and  the  sycamore.  These  will  be  suc- 
ceeded by  the  larch,  the  fir,  the  pine,  the  birch,  and  their 
companions.  After  this  point  we  look  for  no  change  of 
species,  but  a  diminution  in  size  of  these  last  named.  The 
variety  of  trees  is  the  result  of  altitude  as  well  as  of  lati- 
tude,  since  there  are  mountain  regions  of  Southern  Europe, 
as  well  as  in  America,  where  one  may  pass  in  a  few  hours 
from  the  reo:ion  of  the  olive  to  that  of  the  stunted  fir. 

From  Tromsoe  vessels  are  fitted  for  exploration  towards 
the  North  Pole ;  some  for  the  capture  of  seals  and  walruses 
among  the  ice-fields,  and  also  on  the  coast  of  Spitzbergen. 
A  small  propeller  is  seen  lying  in  the  harbor  fitted  with  a 
forecastle  gun,  whence  to  fire  a  lance  at  whales  —  a  species 
of  big  fishing,  so  to  speak,  which  is  made  profitable  here. 
Little  row-boats  with  high  bows  and  sterns  flit  about  the 
bay  like  sea-birds  on  the  wing,  and  ride  as  lightly  upon  the 
water.  These  are  often  ''  manned  "  by  a  couple  of  sturdy 
women  who  row  with  great  precision,  their  faces  glowing 
with  animation.  These  boats,  of  the  same  model  as  that 
ancient  Viking  ship  at  Christiania,  sit  very  low  in  the  water 
amidship,  but  are  remarkable  for  buoyancy  and  the  ease 
with  which  they  are  propelled. 

The  Lapps  in  their  quaint  and  picturesque  costumes  of 
deer-skins  surround  the  newly  arrived  steamer,  in  boats, 
offering  furs,  carved  horn  implements,  moccasins,  walrus- 
teeth,  and  the  like  for  sale.  These  w^ares  are  of  the  rudest 
type,  and  of  no  possible  use  except  as  mementos  of  the 
traveller's  visit  to  these  far  northern  latitudes.  This  peo- 
ple are  very  shrewd  in  matters  of  trade,  and  are  not  with- 
out  plenty   of   low   cunning  hidden    behind   their  brown, 


264  FOOT-PRINTS    OF    TRAVEL;     OR, 

withered,  expressionless  faces.  They  are  small  in  stature, 
being  generally  under  five  feet  in  height,  with  prominent 
cheek  bones,  snub  noses,  oblique  Mongolian  eyes,  big 
mouths,  large,  ill-formed  heads,  hair  like  meadow  hay,  and 
very  scanty  beards.  Such  is  a  pen  portrait  of  a  people 
who  once  ruled  the  whole  of  Scandinavia.  A  short  trip 
inland  brings  us  to  the  summer  encampment  of  the  Lapps, 
formed  of  a  few  rude  huts,  outside  of  which  they  live 
except  in  the  winter  months.  A  Lapp  sleeps  wherever 
fatigue  overcomes  him,  preferring  the  ground,  but  often 
lying  on  the  snow.  They  are  a  wandering  race,  their 
wealth  consisting  solely  in  their  herds  of  reindeer,  to  pro- 
cure sustenance  for  which  necessitates  frequent  changes 
of  locality.  A  Laplander  is  rich  provided  he  owns  enough 
of  these  animals  to  support  himself  and  family.  A  herd 
that  can  afford  thirty  full-grown  deer  annually  for  slaugh- 
ter, and  say  ten  more  to  be  sold  or  bartered,  makes  a 
family  of  a  dozen  persons  comfortably  well  off.  Some  are 
destroyed  every  year  by  wolves  and  bears,  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  precautions  taken  to  prevent  it,  while  in  severe 
winters  a  large  number  are  sure  to  die  of  starvation. 

The  herds  live  almost  entirely  on  the  so-called  reindeer 
moss,  but  this  failing  them,  they  eat  the  young  twigs  of 
the  trees.  When  the  snow  covers  the  ground  to  a  depth 
of  not  more  than  three  or  four  feet,  these  intelligent  crea- 
tures dig  holes  in  it  so  as  to  reach  the  moss,  and  guided 
by  instinct  they  rarely  fail  to  do  so  in  just  the  right  place. 
The  Lapps  themselves  would  be  entirely  at  a  loss  for  any 
indication  as  to  where  this  food  should  be  sought  when 
covered  by  the  deep  snow.  The  reindeer  will  carry,  lashed 
to  its  back,  a  hundred  and  thirty  pounds,  or  drag  upon  the 
snow,  when  harnessed  to  a  sledge,  two  hundred  and  fifty 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  265 

pounds,  travelling  ten  miles  an  hour  for  several  consecu- 
tive hours,  without  apparent  fatigue.  The  country  over 
which  these  people  roam  is  included  in  Northern  Norway 
and  Sweden,  with  a  portion  of  Northwestern  Russia  and 
Finland,  extending  over  about  seven  thousand  square 
miles,  but  the  whole  race  will  hardly  number  thirty  thou- 
sand. Lapland,  in  general  terms,  may  be  said  to  be  the 
region  lying  between  the  Polar  Ocean  and  the  Arctic  Cir- 
cle, the  eastern  and  western  boundaries  being  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  and  the  White  Sea,  two-thirds  of  which  territory 
belongs  to  Russia,  and  one-third  is  about  equally  divided 
between  Norway  and  Sweden. 

In  the  winter  season  the  Lapps  retire  far  inland,  where 
they  build  temporary  huts  of  the  branches  of  the  trees, 
plastered  with  clay  and  banked  up  with  snow,  leaving  a 
hole  at  the  top  as  a  chimney  for  the  smoke,  the  fire  being 
always  built  upon  a  broad,  fiat  stone  in  the  centre  of  the 
hut.  In  these  rude,  and,  according  to  our  estimate,  com- 
fortless cabins,  they  hibernate,  rather  than  live  the  life  of 
civilized  human  beings,  for  eight  months  of  the  year. 

After  leaving  Tromsoe  our  course  is  north-northeast, 
crossing  w^ild  fjords  and  skirting  the  mainland.  Along  the 
shore  at  intervals  little  clusters  of  fishermen's  huts  are 
seen,  with  a  small  sprinkling  of  herbage  and  patches  of 
bright  verdure.  As  we  glide  along  among  the  islands 
which  line  the  shore,  we  are  pretty  sure  to  fall  in  wdth  one 
of  the  little  propellers,  with  a  small  swivel  gun  at  the  bow, 
in  search  of  whales.  The  projectile  which  is  used  consists 
of  a  barbed  harpoon,  to  which  a  short  chain  is  affixed,  and 
to  that  a  strong  line.  This  harpoon  has  barbs  which  ex- 
pand as  soon  as  they  enter  the  body  of  the  animal  and  he 
pulls  upon  the  line,  stopping  at  a  certain  angle,  which  ren- 


266  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

ders  the  withdrawal  of  the  weapon  impossible.  Besides 
this,  an  explosive  shell  is  so  attached  that  it  quickly  bursts 
within  the  monster,  producing  instant  death.  A  cable  is 
then  fastened  to  the  head,  and  the  whale  is  towed  into  har- 
bor to  be  cut  up,  and  the  blubber  tried  out  on  shore. 

The  objects  which  attract  the  eye  are  constantly  chang- 
ing. Large  black  geese,  too  heavy  for  lofty  flying,  rise 
awkwardly  from  the  waves  and  skim  across  the  fjords,  just 
clearing  the  surface  of  the  dark  blue  waters.  Oyster-catch- 
ers, as  they  are  familiarly  called,  decked  with  scarlet  bills 
and  legs,  are  abundant.  Now  and  then  that  daring  high- 
wayman among  birds,  the  skua,  or  robber-gull,  is  seen 
on  the  watch  for  a  victim.  He  is  quite  dark  in  plumage, 
almost  black,  and  gets  a  robber's  living  by  attacking  and 
causing  other  birds  to  drop  what  they  have  caught  up  from 
the  sea,  seizing  which  as  it  falls,  he  sails  away  to  consume 
at  leisure  his  stolen  prize. 

Long  before  we  reach  Hammerfest  our  watches  seem  to 
have  become  bewitched,  for  it  must  be  remembered  that 
here  it  is  broad  daylight  throughout  the  twenty-four  hours 
(in  midsummer)  Avhich  constitute  day  and  night  elsewhere. 
To  sleep  becomes  a  useless  effort,  and  our  eyes  are  un- 
usually wide  open. 

The  Gulf  Stream,  emerging  from  the  tropics  thousands 
of  miles  away,  constantly  laves  the  shores,  and  conse- 
quently ice  is  not  seen.  At  first  it  seems  a  little  strange 
that  there  are  no  icebergs  here  in  latitude  70°  north, 
when  we  have  them  on  the  coast  of  America  in  certain 
seasons  at  41°.  The  entire  west  coast  of  Norway  is 
w^armer  by  at  least  twenty  degrees  than  most  other  local- 
ities in  the  same  latitude,  owing  to  the  presence  of  the 
Gulf  Stream,  —  that  heated,  mysterious  river  in  the  midst 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  267 

of  the  ocean.  It  brings  to  these  far-away  regions  quan- 
tities of  floating  material,  such  as  the  trunks  of  palm- 
trees,  and  other  substances  suitable  for  fuel,  to  which 
useful  purpose  they  are  put  at  the  Lofoden  Islands, 
and  by  the  fishermen  along  the  shore  of  the  mainland. 
By  the  same  agency  West  Indian  seeds  and  woods  are 
often  found  floating  on  the  west  coast  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland. 

Hammerfest,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Finmark,  is 
situated  in  latitude  70°  40'  north,  upon  the  island  of  Kvaloe, 
or  ''Whale  Island."  It  is  overshadowed  by  Tyvfjeld, — 
that  is,  "  Thief  Mountain," —  thus  fancifully  named  because 
it  robs  the  place  of  the  little  sunshine  it  might  enjoy,  were 
this  high  elevation  not  at  all  times  intervening.  It  is  the 
most  northerly  town  in  Europe,  and  is  about  sixty-five 
miles  southwest  of  the  North  Cape.  It  is  a  town  of  about 
three  thousand  inhabitants,  who  appear  to  be  industrious 
and  intelligent.  Even  here,  in  this  region  of  frost  and 
darkness,  we  are  glad  to  say,  there  are  plenty  of  good 
schools  and  able  teachers. 

From  Hammerfest  we  continue  our  voyage  northward 
alons:  the  coast.  The  land  is  now  seen  to  be  useless  for 
agricultural  purposes ;  habitations  first  become  rare,  then 
cease  altogether,  bleakness  reigning  supreme,  while  we 
seem  to  be  creeping  higher  and  higher  on  the  earth.  In 
ascending  mountains  of  the  Himalayan  range,  we  realize 
that  there  are  heights  still  above  us ;  but  in  approaching 
the  North  Cape,  a  feeling  is  experienced  that  we  are  grad- 
ually getting  to  the  very  apex  of  the  globe.  Everything 
seems  to  be  beneath  our  feet ;  the  broad,  deep,  unbounded 
ocean  alone  marks  the  horizon.  Day  and  night  cease  to 
be  relative  terms. 


268  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

The  North  Cape,  which  is  finally  reached,  is  an  island 
projecting  itself  far  into  the  Polar  Sea,  separated  from  the 
mainland  by  a  narrow  strait.  The  highest  point  which  has 
ever  been  reached  by  the  daring  Arctic  explorer,  is  83°  24' 
north  latitude  ;  this  cape  is  in  latitude  71°  10'  north.  The 
island  is  named  Mageroe,  which  signifies  a  barren  place, 
and  it  is  certainly  well  named,  for  a  wilder,  bleaker,  or 
more  desolate  spot  cannot  be  found  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  Only  a  few  hares,  ermine,  and  sea-birds  manage  to 
subsist  upon  its  sterile  soil.  The  western  and  northern 
sides  are  absolutely  inaccessible  owing  to  their  precipitous 
character.  The  Arctic  Sea  thunders  hoarsely  against  the 
Cape  as  we  approach  the  rough,  weather-worn  cliff  in  a 
small  landing-boat.  It  is  near  the  midnight  hour,  yet  the 
warmth  of  the  sun's  direct  rays  envelops  us.  For  half  an 
hour  we  struggle  upwards  at  an  angle  of  nearly  forty-five 
degrees,  amid  loose  rocks  and  over  uneven  ground,  until 
the  summit  is  finally  reached,  and  we  stand  a  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  literally  upon  the  threshold 
of  the  unknown. 

No  difference  is  observed  between  the  broad  light  of 
this  Polar  night  and  the  noon  of  a  sunny  summer's  day  in 
other  latitudes.  The  sky  is  all  aglow,  and  the  rays  of  the 
sun  are  warm  and  penetrating,  though  a  certain  chill  in  the 
atmosphere  at  this  exposed  elevation  renders  thick  clothing 
indispensable.  This  is  the  objective  point,  to  reach  which 
we  have  voyaged  thousands  of  miles  from  another  hemi- 
sphere. We  look  about  us  in  silent  wonder  and  awe.  To 
the  northward  is  that  unknown  region  to  solve  whose  mys- 
tery so  many  gallant  lives  have  been  sacrificed.  Far  to 
the  eastward  is  Asia;  in  the  distant  west  lies  America; 
and  southward  are  Europe  and  Africa.     Such  a:n  experi- 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  269 

ence  may  occur  once  in  a  lifetime,  but  rarely  can  it  be 
repeated.  The  surface  of  the  cliff  is  quite  level  where  we 
stand,  and  beneath  our  feet  is  a  soft  gray  reindeer  moss 
which  yields  to  the  tread  like  a  carpet  of  velvet.  There  is 
no  other  vegetation,  not  even  a  spear  of  grass.  Close  at 
hand,  in  all  directions,  are  frightful  fissures  and  sheer  preci- 
pices, except  on  the  side  where  we  have  ascended.  Pres- 
ently the  boom  of  a  distant  gun  floats  faintly  upwards,  the 
cautionary  signal  from  the  ship  now  seen  floating  far  below 
us,  a  mere  speck  upon  that  Polar  Sea. 

The  hands  of  the  watch  indicate  that  it  is  near  the  hour 
of  twelve,  midnight.  The  great  luminary  has  sunk  slowly 
amid  a  glory  of  light  to  within  three  or  four  degrees  of  the 
horizon,  where  it  seems  to  hover  for  a  single  moment  like 
some  monster  bird  about  to  alight,  then  changing  its  mind 
slowly  begins  its  upward  movement.  This  is  exactly  at 
midnight,  always  a  solemn  hour ;  but  amid  the  glare  of 
sunlight  and  the  glowing  immensity  of  sea  and  sky,  how 
strange  and  weird  it  is !  Notwithstanding  they  are  so 
closely  mingled,  the  difference  between  the  gorgeous  col- 
oring of  the  setting  and  the  fresh  hues  of  the  rising  sun 
seem  to  be  clearly  though  delicately  defined.  True,  the 
sun  had  not  really  set  at  all  on  the  occasion  we  describe. 
It  was  constantly  visible,  so  that  the  human  eye  could 
not  rest  upon  it  for  one  moment.  It  was  the  mingling  of 
the  golden  haze  of  evening  with  the  radiant,  roseate  flush 
of  the  blushing  morn. 

After  returning  to  Christiania  we  take  the  cars  of  the 
railroad  which  crosses  the  peninsula  by  way  of  Charlotten- 
borg",  the  frontier  town  of  Sweden.  Here  there  is  a  cus- 
tom-house  examination  of  our  baggage ;  for  although  Nor- 
way  and    Sweden   are  under  one  crown,  yet  they  have 


2/0  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

separate  tariffs,  import  and  export  fees  being  enforced  be- 
tween them.  In  crossing  the  peninsula  by  rail  one  does 
not  enjoy  the  picturesque  scenery  which  is  seen  on  the 
Gotha  Canal  route.  The  railroad  journey  takes  us  through 
a  region  of  lake  and  forest,  however,  by  no  means  devoid 
of  interest,  and  which  is  rich  in  mines  of  iron  and  other 
ores.  As  we  approach  Lake  Maelaren  on  the  east  coast, 
a  more  highly  cultivated  country  is  traversed,  until  Stock- 
holm is  finally  reached ;  a  noble  capital,  and  in  many  re- 
spects exceptionally  so.  It  is  situated  on  the  Baltic,  at  the 
outlet  of  Lake  Maelaren,  and  is  built  on  several  islands,  all 
of  which  are  connected  by  substantial  bridges.  The  city 
has  a  population  of  over  a  hundred  and  eighty  thousand, 
covering  an  area  of  five  square  miles,  and,  taken  as  a  whole, 
certainly  forms  one  of  the  most  cleanly  and  interesting 
capitals  in  Europe.  It  is  a  city  of  canals,  public  gardens, 
broad  squares,  and  gay  cafes,  wdth  two  excellent  harbors, 
one  on  the  Baltic  and  one  on  Lake  Maelaren. 

Wars,  conflagrations,  and  the  steady  progress  of  civiliza- 
tion have  entirely  changed  the  city  from  what  it  was  in  the 
days  of  Gustavus  Vasa;  that  is,  about  the  year  1496.  It 
was  he  who  founded  the  dynasty  which  has  survived  for 
three  hundred  years.  The  streets  in  the  older  sections  of 
the  town  are  often  crooked  and  narrow,  but  in  the  modern- 
built  parts  there  are  fine  straight  avenues,  with  large  and 
imposing  public  and  private  edifices. 

Stockholm  is  the  centre  of  the  social  and  literary  activity 
of  Scandinavia,  hardly  second  in  this  respect  to  Copen- 
hagen. It  has  its  full  share  of  scientific,  artistic,  and 
benevolent  institutions  such  as  befit  a  great  European  cap- 
ital The  stranger  should  as  soon  as  convenient  after 
arriving,  ascend  an  elevation  of  the  town  called  the  Mose- 


yOURNEYINGS   IX  MANY  LANDS.  2/1 

backe,  where  has  been  erected  a  lofty  iron  framework  and 
lookout,  which  is  ascended  by  means  of  a  steam  elevator. 
From  this  structure  an  admirable  view  of  the  city  is  ob- 
tained, and  its  topography  fixed  clearly  upon  the  mind. 
At  a  single  glance,  as  it  were,  one  takes  in  the  charming 
marine  view  of  the  Baltic  with  its  busy  traffic,  and  in  the 
opposite  direction  the  many  islands  that  dot  Lake  Maela- 
ren  form  a  widespread  picture  of  varied  beauty.  The 
bird's-eye  view  obtained  of  the  environs  is  unique,  since  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  lies  the  primeval  forest,  undisturbed 
and  unimproved  for  agricultural  purposes. 

Though  Sweden,  unlike  Norway,  has  no  heroic  age,  so 
to  speak,  connecting  her  earliest  exploits  with  the  fate  of 
other  countries,  still  no  secondary  European  power  has 
acted  so  brilliant  a  part  in  modern  history  as  have  those 
famous  Swedish  monarchs,  Gustavus  Vasa,  Gustavus  Adol- 
phus,  and  Charles  XII.  The  last-named  monarch  fought 
all  Europe, — Danes,  Russians,  Poles,  and  Germans,  —  and 
gave  away  a  kingdom  before  he  was  twenty  years  of  age. 

The  Royal  Palace  of  Stockholm  is  a  very  plain  edifice 
externally,  though  it  is  quite  large.  Its  present  master, 
King  Oscar  II.,  is  an  accomplished  artist,  poet,  musician, 
and  linguist,  nobly  fulfilling  the  requirements  of  his  re- 
sponsible position.  He  has  been  called  the  ideal  sovereign 
of  our  period.  His  court,  while  it  is  one  of  the  least  pre- 
tentious in  Europe,  is  yet  one  of  the  most  refined.  The 
State  departments  of  the  palace  are  very  elegant,  and  are 
freely  shown  to  strangers  at  all  suitable  times.  In  the 
grand  State  Hall  is  the  throne  of  silver  originally  occupied 
by  Queen  Christiana,  while  the  Hall  of  Mirrors  appears  as 
though  it  might  have  come  from  Aladdin's  palace.  Amid 
all  the  varied  attractions   of  art  and  historic  associations 


272  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

which  are  here  exhibited,  one  simple  chamber  seems  most 
impressive.  It  is  the  bedroom  of  Charles  XIV.  (Marshal 
Bernadotte),  which  has  remained  unchanged  and  unused 
since  the  time  of  his  death,  his  old  campaign  cloak  of 
Swedish  blue  still  lying  upon  the  bed.  The  clock  upon 
the  mantel-piece  significantly  points  to  the  hour  and  minute 
of  his  death.  The  life  and  remarkable  career  of  the  dead 
king  flashes  across  the  memory  as  we  stand  for  a  moment 
beside  these  suggestive  tokens  of  personal  wear.  We  recall 
how  he  began  life  as  a  common  soldier  in  the  French  army, 
rising  rapidly  from  the  ranks  by  reason  of  his  military 
genius  to  be  a  marshal  of  France,  and  finally  to  sit  upon 
the  throne  of  Sweden.  Bernadotte,  Prince  of  Ponte  Corvo, 
is  the  only  one  of  Napoleon's  generals  whose  descendants 
still  occupy  a  throne. 

The  shops  on  the  principal  streets  are  elegantly  arrayed  ; 
there  are  none  better  in  Paris  or  New  York.  A  ceaseless 
activity  reigns  along  the  thoroughfares,  among  the  little 
steamboats  upon  the  many  water-ways,  and  on  the  myriads 
of  passenger  steamers  which  ply  upon  the  lake.  The 
Royal  Opera  House  is  a  plain  substantial  structure,  built 
by  Gustavus  III.  in  1775.  The  late  Jenny  Lind  made  her 
first  appearance  in  public  in  this  house,  and  so  did  Chris- 
tine Nilsson,  both  of  these  renowned  vocalists  being  Scan- 
dinavians. It  was  in  this  theatre,  at  a  gay  masquerade 
ball,  on  the  morning  of  March  15,  1792,  that  Gustavus  III. 
was  fatally  wounded  by  a  shot  from  an  assassin,  who  was 
one  of  the  conspirators  among  the  nobility. 

Norway  and  Sweden  are  undoubtedly  poor  in  worldly 
riches,  but  they  expend  larger  sums  of  money  for  educa- 
tional purposes,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  inhabitants, 
than  any  other  country,  except  America.     The  result  is 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  2/3 

manifest  in  a  marked  degree  of  intelligence  diffused  among 
all  classes.  One  is  naturally  reminded  in  this  Swedish 
capital  of  Linnaeus,  and  also  of  Swedenborg,  both  of  whom 
were  Swedes.  The  latter  graduated  at  the  famous  Uni- 
versity of  Upsala  ;  the  former  in  the  greater  school  of  out- 
door nature.  Upsala  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  country,  as 
well  as  the  historical  and  educational  centre  of  the  king- 
dom. It  is  situated  fifty  miles  from  Stockholm.  It  was 
the  royal  capital  of  the  county  for  more  than  a  thousand 
years,  and  was  the  locality  of  the  great  temple  of  Thor, 
now  replaced  by  a  Christian  cathedral,  almost  a  duplicate 
of  Notre  Dame  in  Paris,  and  which  was  designed  by  the 
same  architect. 

Upsala  has  often  been  the  scene  of  fierce  and  bloody 
conflicts.  Saint  Eric  was  slain  here  in  1161.  It  has  its 
university  and  its  historic  associations,  but  it  has  neither 
trade  nor  commerce  of  any  sort  beyond  that  of  a  small 
inland  towm  —  its  streets  never  being  disturbed  by  business 
activity,  though  there  is  a  population  of  at  least  fifteen 
thousand.  The  university,  founded  in  1477,  and  richly 
endowed  by  Gustavus  Adolphus,  is  the  just  pride  of  the 
country,  having  to-day  some  fifteen  hundred  students  and 
forty-eight  professors  attendant  upon  its  daily  sessions. 
No  one  can  enter  the  profession  of  the  law,  medicine,  or 
divinity  in  Sw^eden,  who  has  not  graduated  at  this  institu- 
tion or  that  at  Lund.  Its  library  contains  nearly  two 
hundred  thousand  volumes,  and  over  seven  thousand  most 
valuable  and  rare  manuscripts.  Linnaeus,  the  great  nat- 
uralist, was  a  professor  of  botany  and  zoology  at  this 
university  for  nearly  forty  years.  This  humble  shoemaker, 
by  force  of  his  genius,  rose  to  be  a  prince  in  the  kingdom 
of  science.     Botany  and  zoology  have  never  known  a  more 


274  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

eminent  exponent  than  the  lowly  born  Karl  von  Linne, 
whom  the  Swedes  very  properly  denominate  the  King  of 
Flowers.  A  certain  degree  of  knowledge  relative  to  plants 
and  natural  history,  forms  a  part  of  all  primary  education 
in  Sweden. 

About  three  miles  from  the  university  is  the  village  of 
Old  Upsala,  where  there  is  an  ancient  church  of  small 
dimensions,  built  of  rough  stones,  containing  a  monument 
erected  to  the  memory  of  Anders  Celsius,  the  Swedish 
astronomer.  There  are  also  exhibited  to  the  visitor  here 
some  curious  pagan  idols  in  wood.  What  a  venerable  and 
miraculously  preserved  old  pile  it  is  ! 

We  return  to  Stockholm,  —  bright,  cheerful,  sunny 
Stockholm,  —  where,  during  the  brief  summer  months, 
everything  wears  a  holiday  aspect,  where  life  is  seen  at  its 
gayest  in  the  many  public  gardens,  cleanly  streets,  and 
open  squares.  Even  the  big  white  sea-gulls  that  swoop 
gracefully  over  the  many  water-ways  of  the  town  —  rather 
queer  visitors  to  a  populous  city  —  seem  to  be  uttering 
cries  of  bird  merriment. 


yoURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  275 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

IN  pursuing  our  course  towards  St.  Petersburg,  Russia, 
from  Stockholm,  we  cross  the  Baltic,  —  that  Mediter- 
ranean of  the  North,  but  which  is  in  reality  a  remote 
branch  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  with  which  it  is  connected 
by  two  gulfs,  the  Kattegat  and  the  Skagger  Rack.  It 
reaches  from  the  southern  extremity  of  the  Danish  Archi- 
pelago up  to  the  latitude  of  Stockholm,  where  it  extends  a 
right  and  left  arm,  —  each  of  great  size,  —  the  former 
being  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  and  the  latter  the  Gulf  of  Both- 
nia, the  whole  forming  the  most  remarkable  basin  of 
navigable  inland  water  in  the  world.  The  Finnish  Gulf  is 
two  hundred  miles  long  by  an  average  width  of  sixty  miles, 
and  that  of  Bothnia  is  four  hundred  miles  long,  averaging 
a  hundred  in  width. 

The  peninsula  of  Denmark,  known  under  the  name  of 
Jutland,  stands  like  a  barrier  between  the  two  extremes  of 
the  western  formation  of  the  continent  of  Europe.  We 
have  called  the  Baltic  the  ^Mediterranean  of  the  North,  but 
it  has  no  such  depth  as  that  classic  inland  sea,  which  finds 
its  bed  in  a  cleft  of  marvellous  depression  between  Europe 
and  Africa.  One  thousand  fathoms  of  sounding-line  off 
Gibraltar  will  not  reach  the  bottom,  and  two  thousand 
fathoms  fail  to  find  it  a  few  miles  east  of  IMalta.  The 
greatest  depth  of  the  Baltic,  on  the  contrary,  is  only  a 
hundred  and  fifty  fathoms. 

It  is  a  curious,   though    not   unfamiliar  fact,   that  the 


2/6  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

Baltic,  or  rather  the  bottom  of  the  basin  in  which  it  Hes,  is 
rich  in  amber,  which  the  agitated  waters  cast  upon  the 
shores  in  large  quantities  annually,  —  a  process  which  has 
been  going  on  for  three  or  four  centuries.  We  all  know 
that  amber  is  a  hardened  fossil  resin  produced  by  an  extinct 
species  of  pine ;  so  that  it  is  evident  that  where  these 
waters  now  ebb  and  flow  there  were  once  flourishing  for- 
ests of  amber-producing  pines.  These  were  doubtless 
gradually  submerged  by  the  encroachment  of  the  sea,  or 
suddenly  engulfed  by  some  grand  volcanic  action  of  nature. 
Pieces  of  the  bark  and  of  the  cones  of  the  pine-trees  are 
often  found  adhering  to  the  amber,  and  insects  of  a  kind 
unknown  to  our  day  are  also  found  embedded  in  it.  The 
largest  piece  of  amber  extant  is  preserved  in  the  British 
Museum  in  London,  and  is  about  the  size  of  a  year-old 
infant's  head. 

It  is  known  that  the  peninsula  of  Scandinavia  is  gradu- 
ally becoming  elevated  above  the  surrounding  waters  at 
the  north,  and  depressed  in  an  equal  ratio  in  the  extreme 
south,  —  a  fact  of  great  interest  to  geologists.  The  total 
change  in  the  level  has  been  carefully  observed  and  re- 
corded by  scientific  commissions,  the  aggregate  certified 
to  being  a  trifle  over  three  feet,  brought  about  in  a  period 
of  a  hundred  and  eighteen  years. 

We  take  passage  on  a  coasting  steamer  which  plies  be- 
tween  Stockholm  and  St.  Petersburg  by  way  of  Abo  and 
Helsingfors,  a  distance  of  about  six  hundred  miles.  By 
this  route,  after  crossing  the  open  sea  we  pass  through  an 
almost  endless  labyrinth  of  beautiful  islands  in  the  Gulf 
of  Finland,  including  the  archipelago,  known  as  the  Aland 
Islands,  besides  many  isolated  ones  quite  near  the  Fin- 
nish coast.     This  forms  a  delightful  sail,  the  passage  being 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  277 

almost  always  smooth,  except  during  a  few  hours  of  expo- 
sure in  the  open  Gulf.     By  and  by  we  enter  the  fjord  which 

o 

leads  up  to  Abo,  which  is  also  dotted  here  and  there  by 
charming  garden-like  islands,  upon  which  are  built  many 
pretty  cottages,  forming  the  summer  homes  of  the  citizens 
of  Finmark's  former  capital. 

The  town  of  Abo  has  a  population  of  about  twenty-five 
thousand,  who  are  mostly  of  Swedish  descent.  It  is 
thrifty,  cleanly,  and  wears  an  aspect  of  quiet  prosperity. 
The  place  is  venerable  in  years,  having  a  record  reaching 
back  for  over  seven  centuries.  Here  the  Russian  flag — ■ 
red,  blue,  and  white  —  first  begins  to  greet  us  from  all  ap- 
propriate points.  The  most  prominent  building  to  catch 
the  stranger's  eye  on  entering  the  harbor  is  the  long  bar- 
rack-like prison  upon  a  hillside.     In  front  of  us  looms  up 

o 

the  famous  old  castle  of  Abo,  awkward  and  irregular  in  its 
shape,  and  snow-white  in  texture.  Here,  in  the  olden  time, 
Gustavas  Vasa,  Eric  XIV.  and  John  III.  held  royal  court. 
The  streets  are  few  but  very  broad,  causing  the  town  to 
cover  an  area  quite  out  of  proportion  to  the  number  of  its 
inhabitants. 

Helsingfors  is  situated  still  further  up  the  Gulf,  facing 
the  ancient  town  of  Revel  on  the  Esthonian  coast,  and  is 

o 

reached  from  Abo  in  about  twelve  hours'  sail,  also  throus-h 
a  labyrinth  of  islands  so  numerous  as  to  be  quite  confusing, 
but  whose  picturesque  beauty  will  not  easily  be  forgotten. 
This  is  the  present  capital  of  Finland,  and  it  contains  a 
little  over  fifty  thousand  inhabitants  ;  it  has  been  several 
times  partially  destroyed  by  plague,  famine,  and  fire.  It 
was  founded  by  Gustavus  Vasa  of  Sweden,  in  the  six- 
teenth century.  The  university  is  represented  to  be  of  a 
high  standard  of  excellence,  and  contains  a  library  of  about 


2^^  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

two  hundred  thousand  volumes.  The  most  striking  feature 
of  Helsingfors,  as  one  approaches  it  from  the  sea,  is  the 
large  Greek  church,  with  its  fifteen  domes  and  minarets, 
each  capped  by  a  glittering  cross  and  crescent,  with  pendant 
chains  in  gilt  metal;  and  as  it  is  built  upon  high  ground, 
the  whole  is  very  effective.  The  Lutheran  church  is  also 
picturesque  and  notable,  with  its  five  domes  sparkling  with 
gilded  stars  upon  a  dark  green  ground. 

Though  Finland  is  a  dependency  of  Russia,  still  it  is  nearly 
as  independent  as  is  Norway  of  Sweden.  It  is  ruled  by 
a  governor-general  assisted  by  the  Imperial  Senate,  over 
which  a  representative  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia  presides. 
The  country  pays  no  pecuniary  tribute  to  Russia,  but  im- 
poses its  own  taxes,  and  frames  its  own  code  of  laws.  When 
the  country  was  joined  to  Russia,  Alexander  I.  assured  the 
people  that  the  integrity  of  their  constitution  and  religion 
should  be  protected,  and  this  promise  has  thus  far  been 
honestly  kept  by  the  dominant  power,    - 

The  port  of  Helsingfors  is  defended  by  the  large  and 
remarkable  fortress  of  Sweaborg,  which  repelled  the  Eng- 
lish and  French  fleets  during  the  Crimean  War.  It  was 
constructed  by  the  Swedish  General  Ehrensward,  who  was 
a  poet  as  well  as  an  excellent  military  engineer.  This  fort 
is  considered  to  be  one  of  the  strongest  ever  built,  and  is 
situated  upon  seven  islands,  each  being  connected  with  the 
main  fortress  by  tunnels  under  the  water  of  the  harbor, 
constructed  at  great  labor  and  cost. 

After  leaving  Helsingfors  we  next  come  to  Cronstadt, 
being  a  series  of  low  islands,  about  five  miles  long  by  one 
broad,  all  fortified,  and  forming  the  key  to  St.  Petersburg, 
as  well  as  being  the  chief  naval  station  of  the  Empire. 
The  two  fortifications  of  Sweaborg  and  Cronstadt  insure  to 


yOURNEYINGS  IX  MAiVY  LANDS.  279 

Russia  the  possession  of  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  no  matter 
what  force  is  brought  against  them.  The  arsenals  and 
docks  are  here  very  extensive  and  unsurpassed  in  com- 
pleteness. The  best  machinists  in  the  world  find  employ- 
ment in  them,  and  the  latest  inventions  a  sure  and  profita- 
ble market.  In  all  facilities  for  marine  armament  Russia 
is  fully  abreast  of,  if  it  does  not  surpass,  the  rest  of  Europe. 

The  sail  up  the  Neva,  queen  of  northern  rivers,  affords 
the  greatest  pleasure.  Passenger  steamers  are  seen  flit- 
ting about  with  well-filled  decks,  noisy  tug-boats  puff  and 
whistle  while  towing  heavily  laden  barges,  naval  cutters 
propelled  by  dozens  of  white-clad  oarsmen  and  steered  by 
ofificers  in  dazzling  uniforms,  small  sailing-yachts  contain- 
ing merry  parties  of  both  sexes  glance  hither  and  thither, 
all  giving  animation  to  the  scene.  Here  and  there  on  the 
river's  course  long  reaches  of  sandy  shoals  appear,  covered 
by  myriads  of  sea-gulls,  scores  of  which  occasionallv  rise, 
hover  over  our  steamer,  and  settle  in  the  water.  As  we 
approach  nearer  to  St.  Petersburg,  hundreds  of  gilded 
domes  and  towers  flashing  in  the  warm  sunlight  come 
swiftly  into  view.  Some  of  the  spires  are  of  such  great 
height  in  proportion  to  their  diameter  as  to  appear  needle- 
like. Among  those  reaching  so  far  heavenward  are  the  slen- 
der spire  of  the  Cathedral  of  Peter  and  Paul,  nearly  four 
hundred  feet  in  height,  and  the  lofty  pinnacle  of  the  Ad- 
miralty Building.  Notwithstanding  its  giddy  towers  and 
looming  palaces  rising  above  the  level  of  the  capital,  the 
want  of  a  little  diversity  in  the  grade  of  the  low-lying  city 
is  keenly  felt.  Like  Berlin  and  Havana,  it  is  built  upon  a 
perfect  level,  which  is  the  most  trving  of  positions  as  to 
general  aspect. 

St.  Petersburg  is  the  grandest  city  of  Northern  Europe. 


28o  FDOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

By  ascending  the  tower  of  the  Admiralty,  a  superb  and  com- 
prehensive view  of  the  capital  is  obtained.  The  streets 
are  broad,  the  open  squares  vast  in  size,  the  avenues  inter- 
minable, the  river  wide  and  rapid ;  while  the  lines  of  grand 
architecture  are  seemingly  endless.  The  view  from  this 
elevation  is  indeed  superb,  studded  with  azure  domes 
decked  with  stars  of  silver  and  gilded  minarets.  A  grand 
city  of  palaces  and  spacious  boulevards  lies  spread  out 
before  the  eye.  The  quays  of  the  Neva  above  and  below 
the  bridges  are  seen  to  present  as  animated  a  prospect  as 
the  busy  thoroughfares.  A  portion  of  this  Admiralty 
Building  is  devoted  to  schoolrooms  for  the  education  of 
naval  cadets.  The  rest  is  occupied  by  the  offices  of  the 
civil  department  of  this  service,  and  a  marine  museum. 

There  are  over  two  hundred  churches  and  chapels  in  the 
city,  most  of  which  are  crowned  with  four  or  five  fantastic 
cupolas  each,  and  whose  interiors  are  rich  in  gold,  silver, 
and  precious  stones,  together  with  a  large  array  of  priestly 
vestments  elaborately  embroidered  w^ith  gold  and  orna- 
mented with  a  profusion  of  gems.  It  is,  indeed,  a  city  of 
churches  and  palaces.  Peter  the  Great  and  Catharine  II., 
who  has  been  called  the  female  Peter  the  Great,  made  this 
brilliant  capital  what  it  is.  Everything  that  meets  the  eye 
is  colossal.  The  superb  Alexander  Column,  erected  about 
fifty  years  ago,  is  a  solid  shaft  of  red  granite,  and  the 
loftiest  single-stone  column  in  the  world.  On  its  pedestal 
is  inscribed  this  simple  line  :  "To  Alexander  I.  —  Grateful 
Russia."  It  is  surmounted  by  an  angelic  figure,  the  whole 
structure  being  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  feet  high,  and 
the  column  itself  fourteen  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base  ; 
but  so  large  is  the  square  in  which  it  stands  that  the  shaft 
loses  much  of  its  colossal  effect.      Opposite  the  Alexander 


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I- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  28 1 

Column,  on  the  same  wide  area,  are  situated  the  Winter 
Palace,  with  the  Hermitage  on  one  side  as  a  sort  of  annex, 
and  on  the  other  side  in  half-moon  shape  are  the  State 
buildings  containing  the  bureaus  of  the  several  ministers, 
whose  quarters  are  each  a  palace  in  itself.  There  is  not 
one  of  the  many  spacious  squares  of  the  city  which  is 
not  ornamented  with  bronze  statues  of  more  or  less  merit, 
embracing  monuments  to  Peter  the  Great,  Catharine, 
Nicholas,  Alexander  I.,  and  others. 

The  Nevsky  Prospect  is  the  most  fashionable  thorough- 
fare, and  the  one  devoted  to  the  best  shops.  It  is  over  a 
hundred  feet  in  width,  and  extends  for  a  distance  of  three 
miles  in  a  nearly  straight  line  to  the  Alexander  Nevsky 
Monastery,  forming  a  most  magnificent  avenue.  On  this 
street  may  be  seen  the  churches  of  several  sects  of  differ- 
ent faiths,  such  as  Roman  Catholics,  Protestants,  Armeni- 
ans, and  a  Mahometan  mosque.  Here  also  are  the  Imperial 
Library,  the  Alexander  Theatre,  and  the  Foreign  Office. 
The  cosmopolitan  character  of  the  population  of  St. 
Petersburg  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  preaching  occurs 
weeklv  in  twelve  different  languages.  The  Nevsky  Pros- 
pect is  a  street  of  alternating  shops,  palaces,  and  churches. 
Four  canals  cross  but  do  not  intercept  this  boulevard. 
These  water-ways  are  lined  their  whole  lengths  by  sub- 
stantial granite  quays,  and  are  gay  with  the  life  imparted 
to  them  by  pleasure  and  small  freighting  boats  constantly 
furrowing  their  surface.  Large  barges  are  seen  containing 
cut  wood,  piled  fifteen  feet  high  above  their  decks,  deliv- 
ering the  winter's  important  supply  of  fuel  all  along  the 
banks  of  the  canals.  Others,  with  their  hulls  quite  hidden 
from  sight,  appear  like  great  floating  haystacks  moving 
mysteriously  to  their  destination  with  horse-fodder  for  the 


282  FOOT-PRINTS    OF    TRAVEL;     OR, 

city  stables.  From  one  o'clock  to  five  in  the  afternoon 
the  Nevsky  Prospect,  with  the  tide  of  humanity  pouring 
in  either  direction  through  its  broad  road-way,  is  like  the 
Rue  Rivoli,  Paris,  on  a  holiday. 

The  Imperial  Library  of  St.  Petersburg  is  justly  entitled 
to  more  than  a  mere  mention  ;  for  it  is  one  of  the  richest 
collections  of  books  in  all  Europe,  both  in  quality  and 
quantity.  The  bound  volumes  number  a  little  over  one 
million,  while  it  is  especially  rich  in  most  interesting  and 
important  manuscripts.  In  a  room  devoted  to  the  purpose 
there  is  a  collection  of  books  printed  previous  to  the  year 
1500,  which  is  considered  unique.  The  Alexander  Theatre 
and  the  library  both  look  down  upon  a  broad  square  which 
contains  a  fine  statue  of  Catharine  II.  in  bronze.  This 
composition  seems  to  breathe  the  very  spirit  of  the  profli- 
gate and  cruel  original,  whose  ambitious  plans  were  ever 
in  conflict  with  her  enslaving  passions.  History  is  com- 
pelled to  admit  her  great  ability,  while  it  causes  us  to 
blush  for  her  infamy. 

St.  Petersburg  is  the  fifth  city  in  point  of  population  in 
Europe,  but  its  very  existence  seems  to  be  constantly 
threatened  on  account  of  its  low  situation  between  two 
vast  bodies  of  water.  A  westerly  gale  and  high  tide  in 
the  Gulf  of  Finland  occurring  at  the  time  of  the  annual 
breaking  up  of  the  ice  in  the  Neva  would  surely  submerge 
this  beautiful  capital,  and  cause  an  enormous  loss  of  life. 
The  Neva,  which  comes  sweeping  through  the  city  with 
such  resistless  force,  is  fed  by  that  large  body  of  water, 
Lake  Ladoga,  which  covers  an  area  of  over  six  thousand 
square  miles  at  a  level  of  about  sixty  feet  above  that  of 
the  sea.  However,  St.  Petersburg  has  existed  in  security 
for  nearly  two  centuries,  and  it  may  possibly  exist  as  much 


yOURNEYINGS  AV  MANY  LANDS.  283 

longer,  independent  of  possible  floods.  What  the  Gotha 
Canal  is  to  Sweden,  the  Neva  and  its  joining  waters  are  to 
Russia.  Through  Lake  Ladoga  and  its  ramifications  of 
connecting  canals  and  rivers,  it  opens  communication  with 
an  almost  unlimited  region  of  inland  territory,  while  the 
mouth  of  this  river  receives  through  the  gulf  the  com- 
merce of  the  world. 

As  regards  popular  amusements,  Sunday  is  the  favor- 
ite day  of  the  seven  at  the  public  gardens,  on  which 
occasion,  day  and  evening,  theatrical  performances  take 
place.  The  Greek  churches,  like  the  Roman  Catholic,  are 
always  open  through  the  entire  week,  so  that  the  devoutly 
inclined  can  turn  aside  at  any  hour  and  bow  before  the 
altar,  which  to  him  typifies  all  that  is  holy.  Sunday  is 
therefore  regarded  here,  as  in  Rome,  Paris,  or  Seville,  in 
the  light  of  a  holiday  as  well  as  a  holy-day.  After  having 
attended  early  morning  service,  a  member  of  either  church 
unhesitatingly  seeks  his  favorite  amusement.  The  horse- 
races of  Paris,  the  bull-fights  of  Madrid,  and  the  grand 
military  parades  of  St.  Petersburg,  all  take  place  on  Sun- 
day. Few  European  communities  find  that  repose  and 
calmness  in  the  day  which  best  accords  with  American 
sentiment. 

The  one  vehicle  of  Russian  cities  is  the  drosky,  the  most 
uncomfortable  and  inconvenient  vehicle  ever  constructed 
for  the  use  of  man,  but  of  which  there  are,  nevertheless, 
over  fifteen  thousand  in  the  streets  of  the  imperial  city. 
It  has  very  low  wheels,  a  heavy,  awkward  body,  and  is  as 
noisy  as  a  hard-running  Concord  coach.  Some  one  de- 
scribes it  as  being  a  cross  between  a  cab  and  an  instrument 
of  torture.  There  is  no  rest  for  the  occupant's  back ; 
and  while  the  seat  is  more  than  large  enough  for  one,  it 


284  FOOr-PRIXTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

is  not  large  enough  for  two  persons.  It  is  a  sort  of  sledge 
on  wheels.  The  noise  made  by  these  low-running  convey- 
ances as  they  aie  hurried  over  the  uneven  pavements  is 
almost  deafening. 

The  winter  season,  which  sets  in  about  the  first  of  No- 
vember, changes  the  aspect  of  everything  in  the  Russian 
capital,  and  lasts  until  the  end  of  April,  when  the  ice  gen- 
erally breaks  up.  In  the  meantime  the  Neva  freezes  to  a 
depth  of  six  feet.  But  keen  as  is  the  winter  cold,  the  Rus- 
sians do  not  suffer  much  from  it,  being  universally  clad  in 
furs.  Even  the  peasant  class  necessarily  wear  warm 
sheep-skins  with  the  fleece  on,  otherwise  they  would 
often  freeze  to  death  on  a  very  brief  exposure  to  the  low 
temperature  vvdiich  prevails  in  winter.  Doubtless  there 
must  be  poverty  and  wTctchedness  existing  here,  but  ;t 
certainly  is  not  obvious  to  the  stranger.  There  is  no 
street-begging,  and  no  half-clad,  half-starved  w^omen  or 
children  obstruct  the  way  as  is  so  often  the  case  in  Lon- 
don or  Naples. 

The  five  islands  of  the  city,  separated  by  the  Nevka  and 
Neva,  are  called  the  ''Garden  Islands,"  and  they  form  the 
pleasure-drive  of  the  town,  having  quite  a  country  aspect, 
forming  a  series  of  parks  where  fine  roads  wind  through 
shady  woods,  cross  green  meadows,  and  skirt  transparent 
lakes.  Here  every  variety  of  villa  is  seen  embowered  in 
attractive  verdure,  and  a  highly  rural  effect  is  obtained 
within  city  limits. 

St.  Petersburg  is  the  most  spacious  capital  ever  built 
by  the  hand  of  man,  and  one  cannot  but  feel  that  many  of 
its  grand  squares,  presided  over  by  some  famous  monu- 
ment, are  yet  dismally  empty.  As  wx  look  upon  it  to-day, 
it  probably  bears  little  resemblance  to  the  city  left  by  the 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MAXY  LANDS.  285 

great  Peter,  its  founder,  except  in  its  general  plan,  and  yet 
it  extends  so  little  way  into  the  past  as  to  have  compara- 
tively no  root  in  history.  The  magnificent  granite  quays, 
the  gorgeous  palaces,  the  costly  churches  and  monuments 
do  not  date  previous  to  the  reign  of  Catharine  II.  The 
choice  of  the  locality,  and  the  building  of  the  capital  upon 
it,  is  naturally  a  wonder  to  those  who  have  not  thought 
carefully  about  it,  since  it  seems  to  have  been  con- 
trary to  all  reason,  and  to  have  been  steadily  pur- 
sued in  the  face  of  difficulties  which  would  have  dis- 
couraged and  defeated  most  similar  enterprises.  Ten 
thousand  lives  and  more  were  sacrificed  among  the  labor- 
ers annually,  while  the  work  was  going  on,  owing  to  its 
unhealthy  nature,  but  still  the  autocratic  designer  held 
to  his  purpose,  until  finally  a  respectable  but  not  unob- 
jectionable foundation  may  be  said  to  have  been  obtained 
upon  this  Finland  marsh.  Yet  there  are  those  who  be- 
lieve that  all  was  foreseen  by  the  energetic  founder,  that 
he  had  a  grand  and  definite  object  in  view  of  which  he 
never  lost  sight,  and  moreover  that  the  object  which  he 
aimed  at  has  been  fully  consummated. 

The  Winter  Palace  is  grand  in  every  respect.  Its  size 
may  be  divined  when  we  realize  that  it  accommodates  six 
thousand  persons  connected  with  the  royal  household. 
With  the  exception  of  the  Vatican  at  Rome,  and  Versailles 
near  Paris,  it  is  the  largest  habitable  palace  in  existence, 
and  is  made  up  of  suits  of  splendid  apartments,  reception 
saloons,  drawing-rooms,  throne  rooms,  banqueting-halls, 
etc.  The  gem  of  them  all  is  the  Salle  Blanche,  or  White 
Hall,  so  called  because  the  fittings  and  decorations  are  all 
in  white  and  gold,  by  means  of  which  an  aerial  lightness 
and  fascination  of  effect  is  produced  which  is  difficult  tq 


286  FOOT-PRINTS    OF    TRAVEL;     OR, 

describe.  It  is  in  this  apartment  that  the  court  festivals 
take  place,  and  there  are  probably  no  royal  entertainments 
in  Europe  which  quite  equal  in  splendor  those  given  in 
the  Winter  Palace.  One  becomes  almost  dazed  by  the 
glare  of  gilt  and  bronze,  the  number  of  polished  columns 
of  marble  and  porphyry,  the  gorgeous  hangings,  the  mo- 
saics, mirrors,  and  candelabra.  Many  of  the  painted  ceil- 
ings are  wonderfully  perfect  in  design  and  execution, 
while  choice  works  of  art  are  so  abundant  on  all  sides 
as  to  lose  effect.  The  famous  banqueting-hall  measures 
two  hundred  feet  in  length  by  one  hundred  in  breadth. 
As  we  come  forth  from  the  palace  through  the  grand 
entrance  upon  the  square,  it  is  natural  to  turn  and  scan 
the  magnificent  front  as  a  whole,  and  to  remember  that 
from  the  gate  of  this  palace  Catharine  II.  went  forth  on 
horseback  with  a  drawn  sword  in  her  hand,  to  put  herself 
at  the  head  of  her  army. 

The  Hermitage,  of  which  the  world  has  read  so  much, 
is  a  spacious  building  adjoining  the  Winter  Palace,  with 
which  it  is  connected  by  a  covered  gallery,  and  is  five 
hundred  feet  long  where  it  fronts  upon  the  square  contain- 
ing the  Alexander  Column.  It  is  not,  as  its  name  might  indi- 
cate, a  solitude,  but  a  grand  and  elaborate  palace  in  itself, 
built  by  Catharine  II.  for  a  picture  gallery,  a  museum,  and 
a  resort  of  pleasure.  It  contains  to-day  one  of  the  largest 
as  well  as  the  most  precious  collections  of  paintings  in  the 
world,  not  forgetting  those  of  Rome,  Florence,  Paris,  and 
Madrid.  The  catalogue  shows  twenty  original  pictures  by 
Murillo,  six  by  Velasquez,  sixty  by  Rubens,  thirty-three 
by  Vandyke,  forty  by  Teniers,  the  same  number  by  Rem- 
brandt, six  by  Raphael,  and  many  other  invaluable  examples 
by  famous  masters. 


yOURNEYINGS   IN  MANY  LANDS.  287 

Here  are  also  preserved  the  private  libraries  that  once 
belonged  to  Zimmermann,  Voltaire,  and  Diderot,  besides 
those  of  several  other  remarkable  men  of  letters.  There 
is  a  royal  theatre  under  the  same  roof,  where  plays  used  to 
be  performed  by  amateurs  from  the  court  circles  for  the 
gratification  of  the  empress,  the  text  of  the  plays  being 
sometimes  written  by  herself.  This  royal  lady  indulged 
her  fancy  to  the  fullest  extent.  On  the  roof  of  the  Her- 
mitage was  created  a  marvellous  garden  planted  with 
choicest  flowers,  shrubs,  and  even  trees  of  considerable 
size,  all  together  forming  a  grand  floral  conserv^atory  which 
was  heated  by  subterranean  fires  in  winter,  and  sheltered 
by  a  complete  covering  of  glass. 


288  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 


CHAPTER    XIX.     . 

THE  Palace  of  Peterhoff  is  situated  about  sixteen  miles 
from  St.  Petersburg,  on  the  shore  of  the  Neva  where 
the  river  expands  to  a  width  of  eight  or  ten  miles.  This 
place  has  always  been  celebrated  for  the  magnificent  enter- 
tainments given  here  since  the  days  when  it  was  first  built 
by  Peter  the  Great.  The  main  structure  has  no  special 
merit  in  point  of  architecture,  but  the  location  and  the  sur- 
roundings are  extremely  beautiful.  From  the  terrace  of 
the  great  yellow  palace  built  upon  a  natural  elevation,  one 
gets  a  fine  though  distant  view  of  the  coast  of  Finland, 
—  a  portion  of  the  Tzar's  dominion  which  alone  exceeds 
in  size  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  a  wide-spread  barren 
land  of  lakes  and  granite  rocks,  but  peopled  by  over  two 
millions  of  souls.  The  parks,  gardens,  fountains,  hot- 
houses, groves,  and  embowered  paths  of  Peterhoff  are 
kept  in  the  most  perfect  order  by  a  small  army  of  house- 
hold attendants.  The  artificial  water-works  are  after  the 
style  of  those  at  St.  Cloud,  and  are  nearly  equal  to  those 
of  Versailles. 

Here  the  famous  Peter  used  to  retire  and  stroll  about 
the  gardens  with  his  humble  favorite,  a  Polish  girl,  forget- 
ting the  cares  of  state.  This  lowly  companion,  besides 
great  personal  beauty,  possessed  much  force  of  character, 
and  exercised  great  influence  over  her  melancholic  and 
morose  master.  Long  before  her  final  elevation  to  the 
throne,  many  instances  are  related  of  her  interference  in 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  289 

behalf  of  mercy,  which  showed  a  kind  and  loving  nature. 
Peterhoff  is  the  favorite  summer  resort  of  the  royal  family. 

The  Tzar's  dominion  embraces  every  phase  of  religion 
and  of  civilization.  Portions  of  the  empire  are  as  barbaric 
as  Central  Africa,  others  are  semi-civilized,  while  a  large 
share  of  the  people  inhabiting  the  cities  assume  the  high- 
est outward  appearance  of  refinement  and  culture.  This 
diversity  of  character  spreads  over  a  country  extending 
from  the  Great  Wall  of  China  on  one  side  to  the  borders 
of  Germany  on  the  other ;  from  the  Crimea  in  the  south 
to  the  Polar  Ocean  in  the  far  north. 

The  distance  from  St.  Petersburg  to  Moscow  is  about 
four  hundred  miles ;  the  cars  upon  this  route  take  us 
directly  towards  the  heart  of  Russia.  Thirty  years  ago 
there  were  but  about  eight  hundred  miles  of  railroad  in 
the  country ;  to-day  there  are  twenty  thousand  and  more. 
On  this  trip  one  passes  through  scenery  of  the  most 
monotonous  and  melancholy  character,  flat  and  featureless, 
made  up  of  forests  of  fir-trees,  interspersed  with  the  white 
birch,  and  long  reaches  of  wide,  deserted  plains. 

The  forest  forms  a  very  prominent  feature  of  Russia 
north  of  the  line  of  travel  between  the  two  great  cities, 
covering  in  that  region  fully  a  third  part  of  the  country  ; 
the  largest  forest  in  Europe  is  that  of  Volskoniki,  which 
commences  near  the  source  of  the  Volga.  But  to  the 
south  of  Moscow  the  vast  plains,  or  steppes,  are  quite  free 
from  wood,  consisting  merely  of  sandy  deserts,  unfit  for 
habitation.  No  country  is  more  thinly  inhabited  or  more 
wearisomely  tame.  Now  and  again  a  few  sheep  are  seen 
cropping  the  thin  brown  moss  and  straggling  verdure, 
tended  by  a  boy  clad  in  a  fur  cap  and  skin  jacket,  forming 
a  strong  contrast  to  his  bare  legs  and  feet. 


290  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

Though  sparsely  inhabited  by  fierce  and  active  races 
for  centuries,  the  appearance  is  that  of  primitiveness ; 
the  log-cabins  seem  to  be  only  temporary  expedients, — 
wooden  tents,  as  it  were.  The  men  and  women  who  are 
seen  at  the  railroad  stations  are  of  the  Tartar  type,  the 
ugliest  of  all  humanity,  with  high  cheekbones,  flattened' 
noses,  dull  gray  eyes,  copper-colored  hair,  and  bronzed 
complexions.  Their  food  is  not  of  a  character  to  develop 
much  physical  comeliness.  The  one  vegetable  which  the 
Russian  peasant  cultivates  is  cabbage ;  this,  mixed  with 
dried  mushrooms,  and  rarely  anything  else,  makes  a  soup 
upon  which  he  lives.  Add  to  this  soup  a  porridge  made 
of  meal,  and  we  have  about  the  entire  substance  of  his 
regular  food.  If  they  produce  some  pork  and  corn,  butter 
and  cheese,  they  are  seldom  indulged  in  for  their  own  sub- 
sistence, but  are  sold  at  the  nearest  market,  as  a  certain 
amount  of  ready  money  m.ust  be  had  when  the  tax-gatherer 
makes  his  annual  visit.  We  are  speaking  of  the  masses, 
but  of  course  there  are  exceptions.  Some  thrifty  peasants 
manage  much  better  than  this.  No  other  country  is  richer 
in  horses,  mines  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  and  precious  stones ; 
or  in  the  useful  articles  of  iron,  lead,  and  zinc.  Though 
the  Russians  are  famous  for  having  large  families,  still  the 
inhabitants  average  but  fifteen  to  the  square  mile,  while 
in  Germany  there  are  eighty,  and  in  England  over  four 
hundred  to  the  square  mile. 

Forests  of  such  density  as  to  be  impenetrable  to  man 
frequently  line  the  railroad  for  many  miles  together,  but 
the  loneliness  of  the  way  is  relieved  by  occasional  glimpses 
of  wild-flowers  scattered  along  the  roadside  in  great  vari- 
ety, diffusing  indescribable  freshness.  Among  them  now 
and  again  a  tall  scarlet  poppy  rears  its  gaudy  head,  nod- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  29 1 

ding  lazily  in  the  currents  of  air  and  leading  us  to  wonder 
how  it  came  here  in  such  company.  A  peculiar  little  blue 
flower  is  frequently  observed  with  yellow  petals,  seeming 
to  look  up  from  the  surrounding  nakedness  and  desolation 
with  the  appealing  expression  of  human  eyes.  Snow-white 
daisies  and  delicate  little  harebells  come  into  view  at 
intervals,  struggling  for  a  brief  and  lonely  existence.  The 
railroad  stations  are  beautified  by  floral  displays  of  no 
mean  character.  It  seems  that  professional  gardeners 
travel  on  the  line,  remaining  long  enough  at  each  place 
to  organize  the  skilful  culture  of  garden-plants  by  the 
keeper's  family  during  the  few  weeks  of  summer ;  but  one 
shudders  to  think  what  must  be  the  aspect  of  this  region 
during  the  long  frost-locked  Russian  winter. 

On  reaching  the  city  of  Tver,  we  cross,  by  a  high  iron 
bridge,  the  river  Volga,  —  one  of  the  greatest  in  the 
world, — the  Mississippi  of  Russia.  From  this  point  the 
river  is  navigable  for  over  two  thousand  miles  to  Astra- 
khan. In  a  country  so  extensive  and  which  possesses  so 
small  a  portion  of  seaboard,  rivers  have  a  great  importance, . 
and  until  the  introduction  of  railroads  they  formed  nearly 
the  only  available  means  of  transportation.  The  canals, 
rivers,  and  lakes  are  no  longer  navigated  by  barges  drawn 
by  horse-power.  Steam-tugs  and  small  passenger  steam- 
ers now  tow  great  numbers  of  flat-boats  of  large  capa- 
city ;  and  transportation  by  this  mode  of  conveyance  is  very 
cheap.  The  Volga  is  the  largest  river  in  Europe.  Measured 
through  its  entire  windings  it  has  a  length  of  twenty-four 
hundred  miles  from  its  rise  in  the  Valdai  Hills,  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  above  sea-level,  to  its  outlet  into  the 
Caspian  Sea.  Many  cities  and  thriving  towns  are  situated 
upon  its  banks.    At  Nijni-Novgorod  it  is  joined  by  the  Oka 


292  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

River.  In  addition  to  these  water-ways  there  are  also  the 
Obi,  the  Yenisee,  the  Lena,  the  Don,  and  the  Dnieper, 
all  rivers  of  the  first  class,  whose  entire  course  from  source 
to  mouth  is  within  the  Russian  territory,  saying  nothing 
of  the  several  rivers  tributary  to  these.  Nor  should  we 
forget  those  frontier  rivers,  the  Danube,  the  Amoor,  and 
the  Oxus,  all  of  w^iich  are  auxiliary  to  the  great  system  of 
canals  that  connects  the  important  rivers  of  the  empire. 
The  Volga  by  this  system  communicates  with  the  White 
Sea,  the  Baltic,  and  the  Euxine. 

While  we  are  narrating  these  interesting  facts  relating  to 
the  material  greatness  of  Russia,  we  are  also  approaching 
its  ancient  capital.  It  stands  upon  a  vast  plain  through 
which  winds  the  Moskva  River,  from  which  the  city  de- 
rives its  name.  The  villages  naturally  become  more  popu- 
lous as  we  advance,  and  gilded  domes  and  cupolas  occa- 
sionally loom  up  above  the  tree-tops  on  either  side  of  the 
road,  indicating  a  Greek  church  here  and  there.  As  in 
approaching  Cairo  in  Egypt,  one  sees  first  and  while  far 
away  the  pyramids  of  Ghizeh,  and  afterwards  the  grace- 
ful minarets  and  towers  of  the  Oriental  city  gleaming 
through  the  golden  haze  ;  so  as  we  gradually  emerge  from 
the  thinly  inhabited  Russian  plains  and  draw  near  the  cap- 
ital, first  there  comes  into  view  the  massive  towers  of  the 
Kremlin  and  the  Church  of  Our  Saviour  with  its  golden 
dome,  followed  by  the  hundreds  of  glittering  steeples,  bel- 
fries, towers,  and  star-gilded  domes  of  this  extremely  inter- 
esting and  ancient  city. 

Though  some  of  these  religious  temples  have  simply  a 
cupola  in  the  shape  of  an  inverted  bowl,  terminating  in  a 
gilded  point  capped  by  a  cross  and  crescent,  few  of  them 
have  less  than  five  or  six,  and  some  have  sixteen  super- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  293 

structures  of  the  most  whimsical  device,  with  gilded  chains 
depending  from  each  apex  and  affixed  at  the  base.  A 
bird's-eye  view  of  Moscow  is  far  more  picturesque  than 
that  of  St.  Petersburg,  the  older  city  being  located  upon 
very  uneven  ground,  is  in  some  places  quite  hilly.  St. 
Petersburg  is  European,  while  Moscow  is  Tartar.  The  lat- 
ter has  been  three  times  nearly  destroyed  :  first  by  the  Tar- 
tars in  the  thirteenth  century ;  next,  by  the  Poles,  in  the 
seventeenth  century ;  and  again  at  the  time  of  the  French 
invasion  under  Napoleon,  in  18 12.  Still  it  has  sprung  from 
its  ashes  each  time  as  if  by  magic,  and  has  never  lost  its 
original  character,  being  now  a  more  splendid  and  prosper- 
ous capital  than  ever  before,  rapidly  increasing  in  popula- 
tion. The  romantic  character  of  its  history,  so  mingled 
with  protracted  wars,  civil  conflicts,  sieges,  and  conflagra- 
tions, makes  it  seem  half  fabulous.  The  population  is  not 
much,  if  any  less  than  that  of  St.  Petersburg,  —  eight  hun- 
dred thousand,  —  while  the  territory  which  it  covers  meas- 
ures over  twenty  miles  in  circumference. 

Moscow  is  to  the  Russian  what  Mecca  is  to  the  pious 
Moslem,  and  he  calls  it  by  the  endearing  name  of  ''mother." 
Like  Kief  and  the  Trortzkoi  (sacred  monastery),  it  is  the 
object  of  pious  pilgrimage  to  thousands  annually,  who  come 
from  long  distances  on  foot. 

The  Kremlin,  which  crowns  a  hill,  is  the  central  point  of 
the  city,  and  is  enclosed  by  high  walls,  battlement  rising 
upon  battlement,  flanked  by  massive  towers.  The  name  is 
Tartar  and  signifies  a  fortress.  As  such  it  is  unequalled  for 
its  vastness,  its  historical  associations,  and  the  wealth  of  its 
sanctuaries.  It  was  founded  five  or  six  hundred  years 
ago,  and  is  an  enclosure  studded  with  cathedrals,  and  em- 
bracing broad  streets  and  spacious  squares,  — a  citadel  and 


294  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

city  within  itself,  being  to  Moscow  what  the  Acropolis  was 
to  Athens.  The  various  buildings  are  a  strange  conglom- 
erate of  architecture,  including  Tartar,  Hindu,  Chinese,  and 
Gothic  exhibited  in  noble  cathedrals,  chapels,  towers,  con- 
vents, and  palaces.  There  are  about  twenty  churches  within 
the  walls  of  the  Kremlin.  The  Cathedral  of  the  Assump- 
tion is  perhaps  the  most  noteworthy,  teeming  as  it  does 
with  historic  interest,  and  being  filled  w^ith  tombs  and  pic- 
tures from  its  dark  agate  floor  to  the  base  of  the  vast 
cupola.  Here,  from  the  time  of  Ivan  the  Great  to  that  of 
the  present  Emperor,  the  Tzars  have  all  been  crowned,  and 
here  Peter  placed  the  royal  insignia  upon  the  head  of  his 
second  wife,  the  peasant-girl  of  Livonia. 

The  venerable  w^alls  of  the  Kremlin,  which  measure 
about  two  miles  in  circumference,  are  pierced  by  five  gates 
of  an  imposing  character,  to  each  of  which  is  attributed  a 
religious  or  historical  importance.  Often  have  invading 
hosts  battered  at  these  gates,  and  sometimes  gained  an 
entrance ;  but,  strange  to  say,  they  have  always  in  the  end 
been  worsted  by  the  faithful  Muscovites.  Over  the  Re- 
deemer's Gate,  so  called,  is  affixed  a  wonder-working  picture 
of  the  Saviour,  which  is  an  object  of  great  veneration.  No 
one,  not  even  the  Emperor,  passes  beneath  it  without  re- 
moving his  hat  and  bowing  the  head.  A  miracle  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  wrought  in  connection  with  this  picture 
of  the  Redeemer  at  the  time  when  the  retreating  French 
made  a  vain  attempt  to  blow  up  the  Kremlin,  and  hence 
the  special  reverence  given  to  it. 

The  most  strikingly  fantastic  structure  in  Moscow  is  the 
Cathedral  of  St.  Basil,  which  is  top-heavy  with  spires, 
domes,  and  minarets,  ornamented  in  the  most  irregular  and 
unprecedented  manner.     Yet,  as  a  whole,  the  structure  is 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  295 

not  inharmonious  with  its  unique  surroundings,  —  the  semi- 
Oriental,  semi-barbaric  atmosphere  in  which  it  stands.  It 
is  not  within  the  walls  of  the  Kremlin,  but  is  just  outside, 
near  the  Redeemer's  Gate,  from  which  point  the  best  view 
of  it  may  be  enjoyed.  Xo  two  of  its  towering  projections 
are  alike,  either  in  height,  shape,  or  ornamentation.  The 
coloring  throughout  is  as  various  as  the  shape,  being  in 
yellow,  green,  blue,  red,  gilt,  and  silver.  Each  spire  and 
dome  has  its  glittering  cross ;  and  when  the  sun  shines 
upon  the  group,  it  is  in  effect  like  the  bursting  of  a  rocket 
at  night,  against  a  dark  blue  background. 

In  front  of  this  many-domed  cathedral  is  a  circular 
stone  whence  the  Tzars  of  old  were  accustomed  to  pro- 
claim their  edicts  ;  and  it  is  also  known  as  "  The  Place  of 
the  Scull,"  because  of  the  many  executions  which  have 
taken  place  upon  it.  Ivan  the  Terrible  rendered  the  spot 
infamous  by  the  series  of  executions  which  he  ordered  to 
take  place  here,  the  victims  being  mostly  innocent  of  any 
crimes.  Here  Prince  Scheviref  was  impaled  by  order  of 
this  same  tyrant,  and  here  several  other  members  of  the 
royal  family  were  ruthlessly  put  to  death  after  being  bar- 
barously tortured. 

The  treasury  of  the  Kremlin,  erected  so  late  as  185 1,  is 
a  historical  museum  of  crowns,  thrones,  state  costumes, 
and  regalia  generally  ;  including  in  the  latter  department 
the  royal  robes  of  Peter  the  Great  as  well  as  his  crown,  in 
which  there  are  about  nine  hundred  diamonds;  and  that  of 
his  widow  Catharine  I.,  which  contains  three  thousand  of 
these  precious  stones.  One  comes  away  from  the  laby- 
rinth of  palaces,  churches,  arsenals,  museums,  and  the 
treasury,  after  viewing  their  accumulation  of  riches,  quite 
dazed  and  surfeited.     To  examine  the  latter  properly  re- 


296  FOOT-PKINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

quires  more  than  a  single  day.  It  is  a  marvel  of  accumu- 
lated riches,  including  the  crowns  of  many  now  defunct 
kingdoms,  such  as  those  of  Kazan,  Georgia,  Astrakhan, 
and  Poland,  —  all  heavy  with  precious  stones.  The  crown 
jewels  of  England  and  Germany  combined  would  not  equal 
in  value  these  treasures.  The  most  venerable  of  the 
crowns  is  that  of  Monomachus,  brought  from  Byzantium 
more  than  eight  hundred  years  ago.  This  emblem  is  cov- 
ered with  jewels  of  the  choicest  character,  among  which 
are  steel-white  diamonds  and  rubies  of  pigeon's-blood  hue, 
such  as  are  rarely  obtainable  in  our  day. 

While  viewing  the  many  attractions  of  Moscow  one  is 
apt  to  recall  a  page  from  history  and  remember  the  heroic, 
self-sacrificing  means  which  the  people  of  this  Asiatic  city 
adopted  to  repel  the  invading  and  victorious  enemy.  It 
was  an  act  of  sublime  desperation  to  place  the  torch  within 
the  sanctuary  of  Russia  and  destroy  all,  sacred  and  profane, 
so  that  the  enemy  should  also  be  destroyed.  It  was  the 
grandest  sacrifice  ever  made  to  national  honor  by  any 
people.  "Who  would  have  thought  that  a  nation  would 
burn  its  own  capital } "  said  Napoleon. 

Strangers  are  hardly  prepared  to  find  Moscow  so  great 
a  manufacturing  centre,  more  than  fifty  thousand  of  the 
population  being  regularly  employed  in  manufacturing 
establishments.  There  are  over  a  hundred  cotton  mills 
within  the  limits  of  the  city,  between  fifty  and  sixty 
woollen  mills,  over  thirty  silk  mills,  and  other  kindred 
establishments,  though  enterprise  in  this  direction  is 
mostly  confined  to  textile  fabrics.  The  city  is  fast  becom- 
ing the  centre  of  a  great  railroad  system,  affording  the 
means  of  rapid  and  easy  distribution  for  the  several  prod- 
ucts of  these  mills. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  297 

The  favorite  seat  of  learning  is  the  Moscow  University, 
founded  by  Peter  the  Great  in  1755,  its  four  principal  fac- 
ulties being  those  of  history,  physics,  jurisprudence,  and 
medicine.  It  is  a  State  institution,  and  has  at  this  time 
some  two  thousand  students.  The  terms  of  admission  as 
regards  cost  to  the  pupils  are  merely  nominal,  the  ad- 
vantages being  open  to  all  youth  above  seventeen  who  can 
pass  a  satisfactory  examination.  Here,  also,  is  another 
large  and  valuable  library  open  at  all  times  to  the  public, 
containing  over  two  hundred  thousand  well-chosen  volumes. 
This  liberal  multiplication  of  educational  advantages  in  the 
very  heart  of  Oriental  Russia  is  an  indisputable  evidence 
of  progressive  civilization. 

One  is  struck  by  the  multitude  of  pigeons  seen  in  and 
about  the  city.  They  are  held  in  great  reverence  by  the 
common  people,  and  no  Russian  will  harm  them.  Indeed, 
they  are  as  sacred  here  as  monkeys  in  Benares,  or  doves 
in  Venice,  being  considered  emblems  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  under  protection  of  the  Church.  They  wheel  about 
in  large  blue  flocks  through  the  air,  so  dense  as  to  cast 
shadows,  like  swift-moving  clouds,  alighting  fearlessly 
where  they  choose,  to  share  the  beggar's  crumbs  or  the 
rich  man's  bounty.  It  is  a  notable  fact  that  this  bird  was 
also  considered  sacred  by  the  old  Scandinavians,  who  be- 
lieved that  for  a  certain  period  after  death  the  soul  of  the 
deceased  assumed  this  form  to  visit  and  watch  the  be- 
havior of  the  mourners. 

Beggary  is  sadly  prevalent  in  the  streets  of  Moscow, 
the  number  of  maimed  and  wretched-looking  human  beings 
recalling  the  same  scenes  in  Spain  and  Italy,  especially 
in  the  former  country,  where  beggary  seems  to  be  the 
occupation  of  one-third  of  the  people. 


298  FOOT-PRINTS   OF    TRAVEL;    OR, 


CHAPTER    XX. 

WE  must  travel  by  railway  three  hundred  miles  fur- 
ther towards  the  centre  of  the  empire  and  in  a 
northerly  direction,  to  reach  Nijni  Novgorod,  that  is. 
Lower  Novgorod,  being  so  called  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
famous  place  of  the  same  name  located  on  the  Volkhov, 
and  known  as  Novgorod  the  Great.  This  journey  is  made 
in  the  night,  and  the  cars,  which  are  supposed  to  afford 
sleeping  accommodations,  are  furnished  with  reclining 
chairs  only.  However,  we  get  along  very  well,  and  fatigue 
is  pretty  sure  to  make  one  sleep  soundly,  notwithstanding 
the  want  of  inviting  conveniences.  Having  arrived  at 
Nijni-Novgorod  early  in  the  morning,  we  find  it  to  be  a 
peculiar  city.  The  residence  of  the  governor  of  the  dis- 
trict, the  courts  of  law,  and  the  citadel  are  within  the 
Kremlin,  where  there  is  also  a  fine  monument  to  the  mem- 
ory of  Mininn  and  Pojarski,  the  two  patriots  who  liberated 
the  country  from  the  Poles  in  16 12. 

The  Kremlin,  like  that  at  Moscow,  is  situated  on  an 
elevation  overlooking  the  town  and  the  broad  valley  of  the 
Volga.  As  we  view  the  scene,  a  vast  alluvial  plain  is 
spread  out  before  the  eye,  covered  with  fertile  fields  and 
thrifty  woods,  through  which  from  northwest  to  south- 
east flows  the  river,  like  a  silver  thread  upon  a  verdant 
ground,  extending  from  horizon  to  horizon.  On  this  river, 
the  main  artery  of  Central  Russia,  are  seen  scores  of  swift- 
moving   steamers,  while  a  forest  of  shipping  is  gathered 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  299 

about  the  wharves  of  the  lower  town,  and  also  upon  the 
Oka  River,  which  here  joins  the  Volga.  From  this  out- 
look we  count  over  two  hundred  steamers  in  sight  at  the 
same  time,  all  side-wheelers  and  clipper-built,  drawn  hither 
by  the  exigencies  of  the  local  trade  growing  out  of  the 
great  annual  fair.  The  first  of  these  steamboats  was 
built  in  the  United  States  and  transported  to  Russian 
waters,  since  which  it  has  served  as  a  model  to  builders, 
who  have  furnished  many  hundreds  for  river  service. 

The  flat-boats  or  barges,  which  have  been  towed  hither 
by  the  steamers  from  various  distances,  having  been  un- 
loaded, are  anchored  in  a  shallow  bend  of  the  river,  where 
they  cover  an  area  of  a  mile  square.  On  most  of  these 
barges  entire  families  live,  it  being  their  only  hom.e  ;  and 
wherever  freight  is  to  be  transported,  thither  they  go  ; 
whether  it  is  towards  the  Ural  Mountains  or  the  Caspian 
Sea,  it  is  all  the  same  to  them :  the  Arabs  of  the  desert  are 
not  more  roving  than  they. 

The  Volga  has  a  course  of  twenty-four  hundred,  and  the 
Oka  of  eight  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  As  the  Missouri 
and  the  Mississippi  rivers  have  together  made  St.  Louis 
in  this  country,  so  these  two  rivers  have  made  Nijni-Nov- 
gorod.  This  great  mart  lies  at  the  very  centre  of  the 
water  communication  which  joins  the  Caspian  and  the 
Black  seas  to  the  Baltic  and  the  White  seas ;  besides  which, 
it  has  direct  railroad  connection  with  Moscow,  and  thence 
with  all  Eastern  Europe.  The  Volga  and  its  tributaries 
pour  into  its  lap  the  wealth  of  the  Ural  Mountains  and  that 
of  the  vast  region  of  Siberia  and  Central  Asia.  It  thus 
becomes  very  apparent  why  and  how  this  ancient  city  is 
the  point  of  business  contact  between  European  industry 
and  Asiatic  wealth. 


300  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

The  attraction  which  draws  most  travellers  so  far  into 
the  centre  of  Russia,  lies  in  the  novelty  of  the  great  annual 
fair  held  here  for  a  period  of  about  eight  weeks,  and  which 
gathers  together  for  the  time  being  some  two  hundred  thou- 
sand people,  traders  and  spectators,  merchants  and  rogues, 
who  come  from  the  most  distant  provinces  and  countries  of 
Asia,  as  well  as  from  immediate  regions  round  about. 
The  variety  of  merchandise  brought  hither  is  something 
to  astonish  one.  Jewelry  of  such  beauty  and  fashion  as 
would  grace  the  best  stores  of  Paris  is  here  offered  for 
sale,  beside  the  cheapest  ornaments  manufactured  by 
the  bushel-basketful  at  Birmingham,  England.  Choice 
old  silverware  is  exposed  along  with  iron  sauce-pans, 
tin  dippers,  and  cheap  crockery  —  variety  and  incongruity, 
gold  and  tinsel,  everywhere  side  by  side.  There  is  an 
abundance  of  iron  and  copper  from  the  Urals,  dried 
fish  in  tall  piles  from  the  Caspian,  tea  from  China,  cotton 
from  India,  silk  and  rugs  from  Persia,  heavy  furs  and 
sables  from  Siberia,  wool  in  the  raw  state  from  Cashmere, 
together  with  the  varied  products  of  the  trans-Causcasian 
provinces,  even  including  droves  of  wild  horses.  Fancy 
goods  are  here  displayed  from  England  as  well  as  from 
Paris  and  Vienna,  toys  from  Nuremberg,  ornaments  of 
jade  and  lapis-lazuli  from  Kashgar,  precious  stones  from 
Ceylon,  and  gems  from  pearl-producing  Penang.  Variety, 
indeed !  Then  what  a  conglomerate  of  odors  permeates 
everything,  —  boiled  cabbage,  coffee,  tea,  and  tanned 
leather, — dominated  by  the  all-pervading  musk;  but  all 
this  is  quite  in  consonance  with  the  queer  surroundings 
which  meet  the  eye,  where  everything  presents  itself 
through  an  Oriental  haze. 

If   any  business  purpose   actuates  the  visitor,  let   him 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  3OI 

keep  his  wits  about  him,  and,  above  all,  remain  cool,  for  it 
requires  an  effort  not  to  be  confused  by  the  ceaseless  buzz- 
ing of  such  a  crowded  hive  of  human  beings.  Sharpers  are 
not  unrepresented  here,  but  may  be  seen  in  full  force  seek- 
ing to  take  advantage  of  every  opportunity  for  imposition, 
so  that  many  who  come  hither  thrive  solely  by  dishonesty. 
It  is  a  sort  of  thieves' paradise  —  and  Asiatic  thieves  are 
marvellously  expert.  Most  of  these  are  itinerants,  having 
no  booths,  tables,  or  fixtures,  except  a  satchel  or  box  hung 
about  their  necks,  from  which  they  offer  trifling  articles  at 
low  prices,  a  specious  disguise  under  which  to  prosecute 
their  real  design. 

The  period  of  great  differences  in  prices  at  localities 
wide  apart  has,  generally  speaking,  passed  away,  and 
nearly  everywhere  the  true  value  of  things  is  known.  Cir- 
cumstances may  favor  sellers  and  buyers  by  turns,  but  in- 
trinsic values  are  fixed  all  over  the  world.  Nothing  is  found 
especially  cheap  at  this  great  Russian-Asiatic  fair  except 
such  articles  as  no  one  w^ants,  though  occasionally  a  dealer 
who  is  particularly  anxious  to  get  cash  will  offer  his  goods 
at  a  low  price  to  effect  the  desired  sale.  The  Tartar  mer- 
chant from  the  central  provinces  of  Asia  knows  the  true 
worth  of  his  goods,  though  in  exchange  he  pays  liberal 
prices  for  Parisian  and  English  luxuries.  Gems  which  are 
offered  so  abundantly  here  can  only  be  bought  at  some- 
what near  to  their  just  value  in  the  markets  of  the  world. 
All  the  tricks  of  trade  are  known  and  resorted  to  at  these 
gatherings.  The  merchant  begins  by  demanding  a  price 
ridiculously  above  the  amount  for  which  he  is  willing  to 
sell.  No  dealer  has  a  fixed  price  at  Nijni-Novgorod.  The 
Asiatic  enjoys  dickering —  it  is  to  him  the  very  life  of  his 
occupation,  and  adds  zest,  if  not  profit,  to  his  business 
transactions. 


302  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

It  is  curious  to  watch  the  various  features,  the  physical 
development,  the  dress,  manners,  customs,  and  languages 
of  the  throng.  It  would  be  impossible  to  convey  an  idea 
of  the  ceaseless  Babel  of  noise  which  prevails  ;  —  the  cries 
designating  certain  goods,  the  bartering  going  on  in  shrill 
voices,  the  laughter  mingled  with  sportive  exclamations, 
and  the  frequent  disputes  which  fill  the  air.  But  there  is 
no  actual  quarrelling ;  the  Russian  police  are  too  vigilant, 
too  much  feared,  too  summary  for  that.  Open  violence  is 
instantly  suppressed,  and  woe  betide  the  culprit ! 

Such  is  this  unique  fair,  which  presents  one  of  the  rude 
and  ancient  Eastern  forms  of  trade  —  a  form  which  was 
once  also  prevalent  throughout  Europe,  but  now  rapidly 
disappearing  by  the  introduction  of  railroads,  even  in  the 
East.  The  glory  of  Nijni-Novgorod  is  already  beginning 
to  wane ;  but  it  would  seem  that  the  fair  still  re^^resents 
all  the  gayest  features  of  the  olden  time,  having  been  held 
here  annually  since  1366,  tradition  pointing  even  to  an 
earlier  date. 

The  large  and  populous  city  formed  here,  though  so 
temporary,  is  divided  into  long  and  broad  streets  lined  with 
booths,  shops,  restaurants,  tents,  and  even  minor  theatres, 
while  the  wharves  of  the  rivers  are  crowded  with  bales  of 
rags,  grain,  hides,  skins,  casks  of  wine,  madder,  and  cotton. 
The  total  value  of  the  goods  disposed  of  at  these  annual 
fairs  is  estimated  as  high  as  eighty  million  dollars.  It  is 
the  only  notable  gathering  of  the  sort  now  to  be  seen  in 
Russia.  With  the  close  of  the  day  business  is  mostly  laid 
aside,  dancing-girls  appear  in  the  cafes,  and  rude  musical 
instruments  are  brought  forth,  each  nationality  amusing 
itself  after  its  own  fashion.  Strange  and  not  inharmonious 
airs  fall  upon  the  ear,  supplemented  by  songs,  the  words 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  303 

of  which  are  utterly  unintelUgible,  except  to  the  circle  of 
participants.  The  whole  scene  forms  a  strange  picture,  as 
parti-colored  as  Harlequin's  costume,  while  the  whole  is 
watched  by  the  ever-present  Russian  police. 

A  couple  of  days  at  the  fair  serves  to  acquaint  us  suffi- 
ciently with  all  of  its  peculiarities,  and  we  return  to  the 
ancient  capital  of  the  empire  by  night  train. 

It  is  a  long  and  rather  dreary  journey  from  Moscow  to 
Warsaw,  in  Russian  Poland,  the  distance  being  some  seven 
hundred  miles  by  rail,  and  the  route  very  monotonous. 
The  country  through  which  we  pass  is  heavily  wooded,  and 
affords  some  attractive  sport  to  foreigners,  who  resort  here 
especially  for  wolf-shooting.  In  the  summer  season  these 
creatures  are  seldom  dangerous  to  men,  except  when  they 
go  mad,  which,  in  fact,  they  are  rather  liable  to  do.  When 
in  this  condition,  they  rush  through  field  and  forest,  heed- 
less of  hunters,  dogs,  or  aught  else,  biting  every  creature 
they  meet,  and  such  victims  are  pretty  sure  to  die  of  hy- 
drophobia. The  wolves  are  at  all  seasons  more  or  less 
destructive  to  small  domestic  stock,  and  sometimes  in  the 
severity  of  a  hard  winter  they  will  gather  in  large  numbers 
and  attack  human  beings,  though  as  a  rule  they  are  timid 
and  keep  out  of  the  way  of  men.  There  are  also  some 
desirable  game-birds  in  these  forests.  The  wild  bison  still 
exists  here,  though  it  is  forbidden  to  shoot  them,  as  they 
are  considered  to  belong  to  the  Crown.  If  they  were  not 
fed  by  man  during  the  long  winters,  they  would  surely 
starve. 

In  the  last  portion  of  this  journey  the  country  puts  on  a 
more  agreeable  aspect.  The  beautiful  lavender  color  of  the 
flax-fields  interspersed  with  the  peach-bloom  of  broad,  level 
acres  of  buckwheat,  produces  a  pleasant  and  thrifty  aspect. 


304  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

These  fields  are  alternated  by  miles  of  intensely  green 
oats,  rye,  and  other  cereals.  No  finer  display  of  growing 
grain  is  to  be  found,  except  in  Western  America.  The 
hay-makers,  in  picturesque  groups,  are  busy  along  the  line 
of  the  railroad  as  we  pass,  nine-tenths  of  them  being 
women.  The  borders  of  Poland  exhibit  a  scene  of  great 
fertility  and  successful  agricultural  enterprise.  As  we 
cross  the  frontier,  a  difference  in  the  dress  of  the  common 
people  becomes  noticeable.  Men  no  longer  wear  red  shirts 
outside  of  their  pantaloons,  and  scarlet  disappears  from 
the  dress  of  the  women,  giving  place  to  more  subdued 
hues.  The  stolid,  square  faces  of  the  Russian  peasantry 
are  replaced  by  a  more  intelligent  cast  of  features,  while 
many  representatives  of  the  Jewish  race  begin  to  appear, 
especially  about  the  railway  stations,  where  they  offer 
trifling  articles  for  sale.  The  dwelling-houses  which  now 
come  into  view  are  of  a  superior  class  to  those  left  behind 
in  Russia  proper.  Log  cabins  disappear  entirely,  and 
thatched  roofs  are  rarely  seen  ;  good,  substantial  frame 
houses  appropriately  painted  become  numerous.  Small, 
trim  flower-plats  are  seen  fenced  in,  adjoining  the  dwell- 
ings. Lines  of  beehives  find  place  near  these  cheerful 
homes,  where  the  surroundings  generally  are  suggestive 
of  thrift  and  industry. 

In  passing  through  Poland  the  country  presents  almost 
one  unbroken  plain  admirably  adapted  to  agriculture,  so 
much  so  that  it  has  been  called  the  granary  of  Europe. 
The  Polish  peasants  are  extremely  ignorant,  if  possible 
even  more  so  than  the  Russians  proper  of  the  same  class  ; 
but  they  are  a  fine-looking  race,  strongly  built,  tall,  active, 
and  well  formed.  There  are  schools  in  the  various  dis- 
tricts, but  the  Polish  language  is  forbidden  to  be  taught  in 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  305 

them  :  only  the  Russian  tongue  is  permitted.  The  peas- 
antry have  pride  enough  to  resist  this  arbitrary  measure  in 
the  only  way  which  is  open  to  them ;  that  is,  by  keeping 
their  children  out  of  the  schools.  Education  not  being 
compulsory  here  as  it  is  in  Norway  and  Sweden,  little 
benefit  is  consequently  derived  from  the  schools.  With 
a  view  to  utterly  obliterate  the  Polish  language  it  is  even 
made  a  penal  offence  by  Russian  law  to  use  it  in  commer- 
cial transactions. 

The  Polish  peasantry  as  a  whole  are  by  no  means  a  pre- 
possessing race.  Naturally  dull,  they  are  furthermore  de- 
moralized and  degraded  by  a  love  of  spirituous  liquors, 
these  being  unfortunately  both  cheap  and  potent.  As 
regards  the  nationality  of  Poland,  her  fate  is  certainly  de- 
cided for  many  years  to  come,  if,  indeed,  it  be  not  settled 
for  all  time.  Dismembered  as  she  is,  every  new  genera- 
tion must  amalgamate  her  more  and  more  completely  with 
the  three  powers  who  have  appropriated  her  territory  and 
divided  the  control  of  her  people  among  them.  We  con- 
tinue to  speak  of  Poland  as  a  distinct  country,  though  the 
name  is  all  that  remains  of  its  ancient  independence.  The 
map  of  Europe  has  long  since  been  reconstructed  in  this 
region,  —  Austria,  Germany,  and  Russia  coolly  absorbing 
the  six  millions  of  Poles,  Warsaw  becoming  thus  the  capi- 
tal of  Russian  Poland. 

We  enter  the  city  by  the  Praga  suburb,  crossing  the  lofty 
iron  bridge  which  here  stretches  over  the  Vistula,  nearly 
two  thousand  feet  in  length. 

The  city  extends  about  six  miles  along  the  left  bank  of 
the  Vistula,  and  upon  very  high  ground.  The  river  is 
navigable  at  most  seasons  of  the  year,  extending  the 
whole  length  of    Poland  from  north  to  south,  its  source 


306  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

being  the  Carpathian  Mountains,  and  its  mouth  at  Dantzig. 
The  city  covers  a  great  surface  in  proportion  to  the  num- 
ber of  inhabitants,  and  is  enclosed  by  ramparts  pierced  by 
ten  gates,  all  being  defended  by  a  strong  castle  of  modern 
construction.  The  fortifications  are  kept  at  all  times  up 
to  a  war  standard,  and  are  very  complete  in  the  depart- 
ment of  modern  artillery.  The  city  has  nearly  half  a  mil- 
lion inhabitants,  one-third  of  whom  are  Jews,  who  monopo- 
lize the  main  branches  of  trade. 

From  the  top  of  the  railway  station  in  the  Praga  district 
one  gets  an  admirable  view.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river  is  seen  the  citadel,  the  oldest  portion  of  the  town, 
with  its  narrow  streets  and  lofty  houses,  the  castle  and  its 
beautiful  gardens,  as  well  as  the  newer  section  of  the  city, 
including  the  public  promenade  and  groves  about  the  royal 
villa  of  Lazienki.  Viewed  from  Praga,  as  it  slopes  upward, 
the  effect  of  the  city  is  very  pleasing,  and  a  closer  exami- 
nation of  its  churches,  former  palaces,  and  fine  public  build- 
ings confirms  the  favorable  impression.  This  view  should 
be  supplemented  by  one  of  a  bird's-eye  character  to  be  ob- 
tained from  the  cupola  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  which 
more  clearly  reveals  the  several  large  squares  and  main 
arteries,  bordered  by  graceful  lime-trees. 

In  spite  of  its  misfortunes,  Warsaw  ranks  to-day  as  the 
third  city  in  importance  as  well  as  poj^ulation  in  the  Rus- 
sian Empire.  It  was  not  made  the  capital  of  Poland  until 
1566,  when  it  succeeded  Cracow.  It  is  now  the  residence 
of  a  viceroy  representing  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  and  the 
place  is  strongly  garrisoned  by  the  soldiers  of  the  Tzar. 
War  and  devastation  have  deprived  it  of  many  of  its 
national  and  patriotic  monuments,  but  its  squares  are  still 
ornamented  with  numerous  admirable  statues,  and  with  a 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  307 

grand  array  of  fine  public  buildings.  In  the  square  of  the 
royal  castle  there  is  a  colossal  bronze  statue  of  Sigismund 
III.  ;  in  another  quarter  a  bronze  statue  of  Copernicus  is 
found.  It  will  be  remembered  that  he  was  a  Pole  by  birth 
and  was  educated  at  Cracow,  his  name  being  Latinized 
from  Kopernik.  There  is  a  thirteenth  century  cathedral 
close  by,  whose  pure  Gothic  contrasts  strongly  with  the 
Tartar  style  which  we  have  so  lately  left  behind  in  Russia. 
This  old  church  is  very  gray  and  crumbling,  very  dirty, 
and  very  offensive  to  the  sense  of  smell,  partly  accounted 
for  by  obvious  causes,  since  about  the  doors,  inside  and  out, 
swarm  a  vile-smelling  horde  of  ragged  men,  women,  and 
children,  sad  and  pitiful  to  behold. 

Here  we  find  the  finest  public  buildings  and  most  ele- 
gant residences  strangely  mingled  with  wooden  hovels  ; 
magnificence  and  squalor  side  by  side,  inexorably  jumbled 
together.  No  other  city  in  all  Europe  has  so  many  private 
palaces  and  elegant  mansions  as  may  be  seen  in  an  hour's 
stroll  about  Warsaw ;  but  the  architecture  is  often  gaudy 
and  in  bad  taste.  Here  for  centuries  there  were  but  two 
classes  or  grades  of  society ;  namely,  the  noble,  and  the 
peasant.  A  Polish  noble  was  by  law  a  person  who  pos- 
sessed a  freehold  estate,  and  who  could  prove  his  descent 
from  ancestors  formerly  possessing  a  freehold,  who  followed 
no  trade  or  commerce,  and  who  was  at  liberty  to  choose 
his  own  habitation.  This  description,  therefore,  included 
all  persons  who  were  above  the  rank  of  tradesmen  or 
peasants.  \ 

The  ''Avenues"  is  the  popular  drive  and  promenade  of 
the  citizens  of  Warsaw.  It  is  bordered  by  long  lines  of 
trees,  and  surrounded  by  elegant  private  residences.  Here 
also  are  inviting  public  gardens  where  popular  entertain- 


308  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

ments  are  presented,  and  where  cafes  dispense  ices,  favor- 
ite drinks,  and  other  refreshments.  The  Botanical  Gar- 
dens are  close  at  hand,  forming  a  pleasant  resort  for  the 
lovers  of  floral  beauty.  Just  beyond  these  gardens  is  the 
Lazienki  Park,  containing  the  suburban  palace  built  by 
King  Stanislaus  Poniatovski  in  the  middle  of  the  last  cen- 
tury, and  which  is  now  the  temporary  residence  of  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  when  he  visits  Warsaw.  These 
grounds  are  very  spacious,  affording  complete  seclusion 
and  shady  drives.  Though  it  so  closely  adjoins  the  city,  it 
has  the  effect  of  a  wild  forest  of  ancient  trees.  The  royal 
villa  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  stately  grove,  surrounded  by 
graceful  fountains,  tiny  lakes,  and  delightful  flower-gar- 
dens. There  are  some  fine  groups  of  marble  statuary  pict- 
uresquely disposed  among  the  tropical  plants. 

One  is  hardly  prepared  to  see  so  much  commercial 
prosperity  and  rapidity  of  growth  as  is  evinced  in  Warsaw. 
In  matters  of  current  business  and  industrial  affairs  it 
appears  to  be  in  advance  of  St.  Petersburg.  The  large 
number  of  distilleries  and  breweries  are  unpleasantly  sug- 
gestive of  the  intemperate  habits  of  the  people.  The 
political  division  of^  Poland,  to  which  we  have  referred, 
was  undoubtedly  a  great  outrage  on  the  part  of  the  three 
powers  who  confiscated  her  territory,  but  it  has  certainly 
resulted  in  decided  benefit  as  regards  the  interests  of  the 
common  people.  There  are  those  who  see  in  the  fate  of 
Poland  that  retributive  justice  which  Heaven  metes  out 
to  nations  as  well  as  to  individuals.  In  past  ages  she  was 
a  country  ever  aggressive  upon  her  neighbors,  and  it  was 
not  until  she  was  sadly  torn  and  weakened  by  internal  dis- 
sensions that  Catharine  II.  first  invaded  her  territory. 
Nine-tenths  of  the  populace  were  no  better  than  slaves, 


yoURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  309 

in  much  the  same  condition  as  the  Russian  serfs  before 
the  late  emancipation  took  place.  They  were  acknowl- 
edged retainers,  owing  their  service  to,  and  holding  their 
farms  at  the  option  of  the  upper  class  ;  namely,  the  so- 
called  nobility  of  the  country.  This  overmastering  class 
prided  itself  on  the  fact  of  neither  promoting  nor  being 
engaged  in  any  kind  of  business  ;  indeed,  this  uselessness 
was  one  condition  attached  to  its  patent  of  nobility.  These 
autocratic  rulers  knew  no  other  interest  or  occupation  than 
that  of  the  sword.  War  and  devastation  constituted  their 
profession,  while  the  common  people  for  ages  reaped  the 
fruit  of  famine  and  slaughter.  Even  in  what  were  called 
times  of  peace,  the  court  and  nobles  were  constantly  en- 
gaged in  intrigues  and  quarrels.  However  hard  these 
reflections  may  seem,  they  are  substantiated  by  historical 
facts,  and  are  frankly  admitted  by  the  intelligent  citizens 
of  Warsaw  to-day. 

That  there  is  shameful  despotism  exercised  by  the 
present  ruling  powers  all  must  allow  ;  but  that  peace,  indi- 
vidual liberty,  and  great  commercial  prosperity  now  reign 
in  Poland  is  equally  obvious.  In  the  days  which  are  popu- 
larly denominated  those  of  Polish  independence  the  nobil- 
ity were  always  divided  into  bitter  factions.  Revolutions 
were  as  frequent  as  they  are  to-day  in  South  America  or 
Mexico,  and  the  strongest  party  disposed  of  the  crow^n, 
ruling  amid  tumult  and  bloodshed. 


310  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

FROM  Warsaw  we  turn  towards  Munich,  the  capital 
of  Bavaria,  reaching  the  quaint  old  city  by  way  of 
Vienna,  a  description  of  which  we  have  given  in  a  previ- 
ous chapter.  Munich  has  a  population  of  about  two  hun- 
dred thousand,  and  it  possesses  many  noble  institutions 
devoted  to  charitable,  literary,  and  art  purposes.  The 
accumulation  of  art  treasures  is  of  the  choicest  character, 
not  exceeded  in  number  or  importance  by  any  other  city 
of  Germany,  if  we  except  Dresden.  Many  of  its  churches, 
centuries  in  age,  are  of  great  interest.  Nearly  all  of  our 
modern  bronze  statues  have  been  cast  in  the  famous 
founderies  of  Munich.  The  university,  in  the  University 
Platz,  takes  first  rank  among  the  educational  institutions  of 
the  old  world.  The  English  Garden,  so-called,  is  a  beau- 
tiful and  extensive  park  which  was  established  just  one 
century  ago ;  it  is  about  four  miles  long  by  half  a  mile  in 
width.  Here  is  seen  an  admirable  statue  of  Count  Rum- 
ford,  the  founder  of  the  garden.  In  clear  weather  the  dis- 
tant Alps  are  visible  from  here. 

The  public  library  of  Munich  is  remarkably  comprehen- 
sive, and  contains  about  nine  hundred  thousand  volumes, 
besides  twenty-four  thousand  valuable  manuscripts.  Few 
collections  in  the  world  are  so  important.  The  Bavarian 
national  museum  embraces  a  magnificent  array  of  objects 
illustrating  the  progress  of  civilization  and  art.  Munich 
is  strongly  marked  in   its  general    aspect,  manners,   and 


yOUKXEYINGS  IN  MANY  LAXDS.  31I 

customs.  A  considerable  share  of  the  most  menial  as 
well  as  of  the  most  trying  physical  labor  devolves  upon 
the  women.  It  is  very  repulsive  to  an  American  to  see 
them,  as  one  does  here,  ascending  high  ladders  with 
buckets  of  mortar  or  bricks  for  building  purposes.  The 
stranger  is  unpleasantly  impressed  with  the  fact  that 
more  beer  is  drunk  in  Munich  than  in  any  other  commu- 
nity composed  of  the  same  number  of  people.  The  ob- 
vious trouble  with  those  who  consume  so  much  malt  liquor 
is  that  they  keep  half  tipsy  all  of  the  time,  and  their  mud- 
dled brains  are  never  in  possession  of  their  full  mental 
capacity.  There  is  not  much  absolute  drunkenness  to  be 
seen  in  the  streets  of  this  capital,  but  the  bloated  faces 
and  bleared  eyes  of  the  masses  show  only  too  plainly  their 
vulgar  and  unwholesome  indulgence. 

From  Munich  we  proceed  to  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  an 
ancient  and  important  city  of  Germany,  containing  a  popu- 
lation of  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand.  The  differ- 
ence in  large  communities  is  remarkable.  While  some 
cities  with  three  hundred  tiiousand  inhabitants  seem 
drowsy  and  "slow,"  another,  like  this  of  Frankfort,  with 
not  half  that  population,  presents  the  aspect  of  much  more 
life,  activity,  and  volume  of  business.  Here  we  have  fine, 
cleanly  streets,  and  stores  almost  Parisian  in  elegance  and 
richness  of  display.  The  older  portions  of  the  town  have 
the  usual  narrow  lanes  and  dark  alleys  of  past  centuries, 
with  quaint,  overhanging  fronts  to  the  houses.  The  city 
is  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  very  beautiful  public  gar- 
dens. The  venerable  town  hall  is  an  object  of  universal 
interest.  One  visits  also  the  house  from  which  Luther 
addressed  the  multitude  in  the  Dom  Platz,  or  square : 
nor  should  another  famous  residence  be  forgotten ;  namely, 


312  FOOT-PRINTS    OF    TRAVEL;     OR, 

that  in  which  Goethe  was  born,  in  memory  of  whom  a  co- 
lossal bronze  statue  stands  in  the  Goethe  Platz.  There  is 
also  a  group  here  of  three  statues  in  honor  of  Gutenberg, 
Faust,  and  Schoffer,  inventors  of  printing.  In  the  Schiller 
Platz  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Schiller.  The  public  library 
has  a  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  volumes,  and  there  is 
a  museum  of  natural  history,  an  art  gallery  of  choice  paint- 
ings, and  all  the  usual  philanthropic  organizations  appro- 
priate to  a  populous  Christian  capital.  Frankfort  is  a  great 
money  centre,  and  is  the  residence  of  many  very  rich  bank- 
ers. In  the  grounds  attached  to  the  residence  of  one  of 
these  wealthy  men  is  exhibited,  in  a  suitable  building,  the 
famous  marble  statue  of  Ariadne,  by  Dannecker.  There 
is  also  here  a  fine  botanical  garden  with  a  collection  of 
choice  plants  open  to  the  public.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  Frankfort,  upon  the  whole,  though  comparatively 
small,  is  yet  an  extremely  pleasing  city,  thriving,  cleanly, 
and  attractive. 

Our  next  i^lace  to  visit  is  Cologne,  a  city  situated  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Rhine.  It  was  a  famous  and  prosperous 
Roman  colony  fifteen  hundred  years  ago,  containing  amphi- 
theatres, temples,  and  aqueducts.  The  passage-ways  in 
the  ancient  portions  of  the  city  are  remarkably  small,  but 
there  are  some  fine  modern  streets,  arcades,  and  open 
squares,  which  present  a  busy  aspect,  with  an  active  popu- 
lation of  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand.  The  Rhine  is 
here  crossed  by  a  substantial  iron  bridge,  as  also  by  a 
bridge  of  boats.  The  one  most  prominent  attraction  of 
Cologne  is  its  grand,  and  in  some  respects  unequalled, 
cathedral,  which  was  over  six  hundred  years  in  process  of 
building.  It  was  not  completed  until  so  late  as  1880, 
representing  an  enormous  amount  of  elaborate  masonry. 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  313 

The  towers  are  over  five  hundred  feet  high.  The  effect  of 
the  interior,  with  its  vast  height,  noble  pillars,  niches, 
chapels,  and  stained  glass  windows  is  most  impressive,  and 
by  many  travellers  is  thought  to  be  unequalled  elsewhere. 
The  exterior,  with  its  immense  flying  buttresses  and 
myriads  of  pinnacles,  is  truly  awe-inspiring.  There  are 
other  old  and  interesting  churches  here.  That  of  St. 
Gereon  is  said  to  contain  the  bones  of  the  hundreds  of 
martyrs  of  the  Theban  Legion  who  were  slain  by  order  of 
the  Emperor  Diocletian  in  the  year  286.  The  Church  of 
St.  Peter's,  where  Rubens  was  baptized,  contains  his  famous 
picture  entitled  the  ''Crucifixion  of  St.  Peter,"  painted  a 
short  time  before  the  artist's  death.  The  stranger  is 
shown  the  house  at  No.  10  Sternengasse,  where  Maria 
d'  Medici  died  in  1642.  Rubens  lived  in  this  same  house 
when  a  boy  of  ten  years.  There  is  a  choice  and  compre- 
hensive gallery  of  paintings  at  Cologne. 

From  this  city  we  turn  our  steps  towards  Paris,  by  the 
way  of  Antwerp,  Belgium,  which  is  remarkable  for  its 
many  churches,  convents,  and  noble  public  buildings, 
beautiful  parks,  and  open  squares.  It  has  a  population  of 
fully  three  hundred  thousand,  owing  its  attraction  mostly 
to  the  fact  that  here  are  gathered  so  many  masterpieces  of 
painting.  The  great  influence  of  Rubens  can  hardly  be 
fully  appreciated  without  a  visit  to  this  Flemish  capital, 
where  he  lived  so  long,  where  he  died,  and  where  his  ashes 
rest  in  the  Church  of  St.  Jacques.  Here  is  the  burial 
place  of  many  noble  families,  and  among  them  that  of 
Rubens,  his  tomb  being  situated  just  back  of  the  high 
altar.  Above  it  is  a  painting  by  his  own  hand,  intended  to 
represent  the  Holy  Family,  but  its  object  is  also  well 
understood  as  being  to  perpetuate  a  series  of  likenesses  of 


314  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

the  Rubens  family  ;  namely,  of  himself,  his  two  wives,  and 
his  daughter,  besides  his  father  and  grandfather.  Vandyke 
and  Teniers  were  also  natives  of  Antwerp,  where  their 
best  works  still  remain,  and  where  the  state  has  erected 
fitting  monuments  to  their  memory.  Jordaens,  the  younger 
Teniers,  and  Denis  Calvart,  the  art  master  of  Guido,  the 
great  Italian  painter,  were  also  natives  of  this  city. 

The  Cathedral  of  Antwerp,  more  remarkable  for  its 
exterior  than  interior,  is  of  the  pointed  style.  Did  it  not 
contain  Rubens'  world-renowned  pictures,  the  Descent 
from  the  Cross,  the  Elevation  of  the  Cross,  and  the 
Assumption,  few  people  would  care  to  visit  it.  In  all  the 
older  portions  of  the  town  the  houses  have  a  queer  way  of 
standing  with  their  gable  ends  to  the  street,  as  we  see 
them  in  Amsterdam  and  Hamburg,  showing  it  to  be  a 
Dutch  fashion.  Dogs  are  universally  used  here  in  place  of 
donkeys  for  drawing  small  carts.  Beggars  there  are  none 
to  be  seen,  to  the  credit  of  the  city  be  it  said. 

From  Antwerp  we  make  our  way  to  Paris,  whence  to 
take  a  brief  trip  into  Switzerland,  which,  after  a  journey  by 
rail  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  we  enter  on 
the  northwestern  corner,  at  Bale,  a  considerable  city  of 
nearly  seventy  thousand  inhabitants,  situated  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Rhine.  Its  earliest  history  was  that  of  a 
Roman  colony  ;  consequently  there  are  many  portions  of 
the  place  especially  "quaint  and  olden."  Being  situated 
at  the  junction  of  the  frontiers  of  France,  Germany,  and 
Switzerland,  it  has  a  considerable  trade  and  evinces  much 
commercial  life.  It  has  many  admirable  institutions,  a 
public  library  which  contains  about  a  hundred  thousand 
volumes,  and  a  justly  famed  university  which  also  has  a 
library  of  two  hundred  thousand  volumes.     The  town  hall 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  315 

is  a  curious  old  structure  three  centuries  old  and  of  the 
Gothic  style.  Most  cities  have  some  specialty  in  manu- 
facturing, and  Bale  is  not  without  its  peculiarity  in  this 
respect.  It  consists  of  the  production  of  silk  ribbons  of 
exquisite  finish  and  in  great  variety,  which  find  their  way 
to  distant  and  profitable  markets. 

There  is  an  admirably  arranged  picture  gallery  and  art 
museum  here,  principally  remarkable  for  the  number  of 
paintings  by  the  younger  Holbein,  but  containing,  also, 
many  other  fine  works  of  the  modern  painters.  The 
cathedral  dates  back  nearly  nine  hundred  years,  or,  to  be 
exact,  to  loio.  It  was  originally  of  the  Byzantine  order, 
but  has  been  repaired  and  added  to  until  it  has  assumed  a 
Gothic  shape.  The  material  is  red  sandstone.  It  has 
two  lofty  towers,  and  the  portal  is  ornamented  with 
mounted  statues  of  St.  George  and  St.  Martin.  About 
six  miles  from  Bale,  on  the  river  near  its  confluence  with 
the  Ergolz,  is  Augst,  upon  the  site  of  the  great  Roman 
city  of  Augusta  Rauracorum,  founded  in  the  reign  of 
Augustus.  From  these  ruins  have  been  taken  many 
valuable  relics  which  are  deposited  in  the  museum  of  Bale. 

From  Bale  we  take  the  railway  southward  to  Lausanne, 
situated  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Geneva,  where  we  find  a 
population  numbering  some  thirty-three  thousand.  This 
city  occupies  a  beautiful  and  commanding  situation  over- 
looking the  lake  and  valley.  Its  streets  are  hilly  and 
irregular,  but  are  well  kept  and  cleanly.  The  view  from 
the  high  points  of  the  town  is  very  fine,  the  Jura  Moun- 
tains enclosing  a  portion  of  the  landscape,  which  is  vine- 
clad  and  varied  in  its  systematic  cultivation.  If  we  stop 
at  the  Hotel  Gibbon,  which  is  a  good  house,  we  shall  see 
in  its  garden  overlooking  the  lake,  the  spot  where  the  his- 


3l6  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

torian  Gibbon  completed  his  ^'Decline  and  Fall  of  tne 
Roman  Empire."  Lausanne  is  a  delightful  summer  resort, 
cool  and  healthful. 

Geneva,  with  a  population  of  about  fifty  thousand,  is 
located  on  the  same  lake  a  short  journey  southward,  being 
one  of  the  largest  and  wealthiest  towns  in  Switzerland. 
It  is  situated  at  the  point  where  the  river  Rhone  emerges 
from  the  lake,  forming  a  favorite  watering-place  with  large 
and  admirable  hotels,  but  many  of  the  streets  are  steep, 
narrow,  and  crooked.  The  Rhone  separates  the  town  into 
two  parts,  and  is  here  crossed  by  eight  bridges.  We  get 
from  Geneva  a  superb  view  of  the  Mont  Blanc  group,  and 
the  relative  height  of  the  several  peaks  is  better  realized 
than  from  a  nearer  point.  Mont  Blanc  is  upwards  of 
fifteen  thousand  feet  in  height. 

Geneva  has  few  attractions  except  its  position  and  scen- 
ery, being  in  the  vicinity  of  the  most  famous  mountains 
in  Switzerland.  The  history  of  the  place  is,  however, 
very  interesting.  Calvin  resided  here  nearly  thirty  years. 
Rousseau  was  born  here  in  171 2,  and  it  has  been  the  birth- 
place of  other  famous  scholars,  botanists,  naturalists,  and 
philosophers.  Necker,  financial  minister  to  Louis  XVL, 
and  his  daughter,  Madame  de  Stael,  were  natives  of  Geneva. 
In  the  environs,  say  four  miles  from  Geneva,  Voltaire  built 
a  famous  chateau,  making  it  his  home  for  a  number  of 
years.  From  here  one  goes  to  Chamouni,  if  disposed 
for  mountain-climbing,  —  the  immediate  region  of  Mont 
Blanc. 

The  Lake  of  Geneva,  or  Lake  Leman,  the  name  by  which 
it  is  best  known,  is  forty-five  miles  long,  varying  from  two 
to  eight  miles  in  width.  We  will  cross  the  lake  by  steamer 
to    the    charming   little   town   of  Vevay,    situated   on   the 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  317 

northern  side,  and  containing  some  nine  thousand  inhabi- 
tants. A  few  miles  from  this  point,  where  the  Rhone 
enters  the  lake,  stands  the  famous  Castle  of  Chillon,  con- 
nected with  the  shore  by  a  drawbridge,  —  palace,  castle, 
and  prison,  all  in  one.  Some  of  its  dark  damp  cells  are 
hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock  beneath  the  surface  of  the  lake. 
This  fortress  of  the  Middle  Ages  has  been  rendered  famil- 
iar to  us  by  Byron's  poetic  pen.  It  was  built  by  Ame- 
deus  IV.,  Count  of  Savoy,  in  1238.  Here  languished  Bon- 
nivard  in  his  underground  cell  for  six  years,  during  which 
time  he  wore  a  prisoner's  chains  for  his  heroic  defence  of 
Genevan  liberty. 

A  short  journey  northward  by  railway  brings  us  to  Berne, 
the  capital  of  Switzerland,  and  which  contains  less  than 
forty  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  situated  upon  a  lofty 
promontory  above  the  winding  Aar,  which  nearly  surrounds 
it,  and  is  crossed  here  by  two  stone  bridges.  The  view  of 
the  snow-capped  Bernese  Alps  from  Berne  is  remarkably 
fine  and  comprehensive.  The  town  has  all  the  usual  chari- 
table and  educational  organizations,  with  a  public  library 
containing  fifty  thousand  volumes.  Many  of  the  business 
streets  are  lined  by  arcades  for  foot  passengers.  Fountains 
abound,  each  one  being  surmounted  by  some  grotesque  fig- 
ure. The  cathedral  is  a  fine  Gothic  structure,  dating 
from  1457.  The  bear,  of  whose  name  the  word  Berne  is 
the  German  equivalent,  forms  the  principal  figure  in  the 
crest  or  arms  of  the  city.  Near  the  Aarburg  gate  is  a 
small  menagerie  of  these  animals,  kept  up  at  all  times, 
and  at  the  public  expense.  The  figure  of  a  bear  appears 
to  one  in  all  sorts  of  connections  about  the  city.  There 
is  here  a  curious  and  famous  clock-tower.  Just  as  the 
hour  is  about  to  strike,   a  wooden  figure  of  chanticleer 


3 1 8  FOO  T-PKINTS   OF   TRA  VEL ;     OR, 

appears  and  crows.  He  is  followed  by  another  puppet 
which  strikes  the  hour  upon  a  bell,  and  then  come  forth  a 
number  of  bears  from  the  interior  of  the  clock,  each  one 
making  an  obeisance  to  an  enthroned  figure,  which  in  turn 
inclines  its  sceptre  and  opens  its  mouth.  The  town  is 
noted  for  the  manufacture  of  choice  musical  boxes,  which 
are  sold  all  over  Europe  and  America. 

We  go  by  railway  from  Berne  to  Lucerne,  which  is  situ- 
ated on  the  lake  of  the  same  name,  and  contains  a  popula- 
tion of  twenty  thousand.  The  ancient  walls  which  served 
the  town  in  olden  times  are  still  in  good  preservation. 
Lucerne  is  located  between  the  Rigi  and  Pilatus  (lofty 
mountains),  while  it  faces  the  snow-clad  Alps  of  Uri  and 
Engelberg.  Here  the  river  Reuss  issues  from  the  lake 
with  great  force.  The  Schweizerhof  Quay,  beautifully 
ornamented  with  trees,  borders  the  lake,  and  is  a  famous 
promenade  for  visitors.  The  chief  object  of  interest,  after 
the  very  remarkable  scenery,  is  the  lion-sculptured  rock,  in 
a  garden  adjoining  the  town,  designed  to  commemorate 
the  Swiss  guard,  who  sacrificed  themselves  in  fidelity  to 
their  royal  master,  the  king  of  France,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  French  Revolution.  It  was  modelled  by  Thorwald- 
sen.  The  lake  of  Lucerne  is  unsurpassed  in  Europe  for 
its  scenic  beauty.  It  is  twenty  miles  in  length,  and  of 
irregular  width  ;  the  greatest  depth  reaches  five  hundred 
feet. 

A  short  trip  northward  brings  us  to  Zurich,  which  has 
a  population  of  eighty  thousand,  and  is  situated  on  the 
borders  of  the  lake  whose  name  it  bears.  It  is  recognized 
as  the  Athens  of  Switzerland,  the  intellectual  capital  of  the 
country,  as  well  as  being  one  of  the  busiest  of  manufactur- 
ing centres,  silk  and  cotton  goods  forming  the  staple.     The 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  319 

educational  facilities  afforded  at  Zurich  are  recognized  all 
over  Europe.  The  scenery  of  the  suburbs  is  very  fine  and 
peculiarly  Swiss,  the  immediate  neighborhood  being  highly 
cultivated,  and  the  distance  formed  by  snowy  Alps.  Lava- 
ter,  the  great  physiognomist,  Gesner,  the  celebrated  natu- 
ralist, and  Pestalozzi,  the  educational  reformer,  were  born 
at  Zurich.  The  shores  of  this  beautiful  lake  are  covered 
with  vineyards,  grain-fields,  and  pleasant  gardens  inter- 
spersed w^Hi  the  most  picturesque  cottages  and  capacious 
villas.  Zurich  is  divided  into  two  parts  by  the  rapid  river 
Limmat,  somewhat  as  the  Rhone  divides  Geneva.  The 
Platz-promenade  is  an  avenue  of  shady  trees  on  the  banks 
of  the  clear,  swift  river,  wdiich  is  much  frequented  by  the 
populace.  It  terminates  just  where  the  small  river  Sihl 
joins  the  Limmat.  The  former  is  an  insignificant  stream 
except  in  the  spring,  when  it  assumes  considerable  impor- 
tance through  the  body  of  water  which  it  conducts  into 
the  bosom  of  the  larger  river. 

Switzerland  is  but  a  small  division  of  Europe.  Its  great- 
est length  from  east  to  west  is  about  two  hundred  miles,  and 
its  width  north  and  south  is  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
Two-thirds  of  its  surface  consists  of  lofty  Alps,  as  we  have 
shown,  the  scenery  being  thus  marked  by  towering  moun- 
tains, vast  glaciers,  beautiful  lakes,  fertile  valleys,  and  glit- 
tering cascades.  Owing  to  the  great  elevation  of  most  of 
the  country,  the  climate  is  uniformly  rather  cold.  The 
population  does  not  exceed  three  millions.  The  different 
languages  spoken  in  Switzerland  show  that  the  people 
have  no  common  origin,  but  come  from  different  races. 
In  the  west,  French  is  the  language  which  is  in  common 
use,  and  these  people  are  believed  to  have  descended  from 
the  Burgundians  ;  in  the  north,  where  German  is  spoken, 


320  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 


a  common  origin  is  indicated  with  the  Germans  of  Swabia ; 
while  in  the  south,  both  the  language  and  the  physical 
appearance  of  the  people  is  that  of  the  Italians. 

On  our  way  towards  England  from  Zurich,  we  pass"" 
through  Schaffhausen,  about  forty  miles  from  the  former 
city,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Rhine,  having  a  population 
of  about  ten  thousand.  It  is  a  place  of  considerable  busi- 
ness activity,  very  quaint  and  antique  in  general  aspect, 
the  style  of  architecture  reminding  one  of  that  seen  in 
Chester,  England.  The  chief  object  of  attraction  to  stran- 
gers in  this  neighborhood  is  the  famous  falls  of  the  Rhine, 
which  form  three  tremendous  cascades,  where  the  river  is 
three  hundred  feet  in  width,  and  the  falls  are  eighty  feet 
in  height.  Schaffhausen  is.  the  capital  of  the  canton  of 
the  same  name,  and  retains  many  of  the  ancient  features 
of  a  Swabian  town  of  the  period  of  the  Empire.  The 
cathedral,  an  early  Romanesque  structure,  bears  the  date 
of  1052.  It  contains  a  remarkable  bell,  which  shows  by  its 
date  that  it  was  placed  here  about  four  hundred  years  ago. 


Page  321. 


TOWER  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  PARLIAMENT. 


yOURiVEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  32  I 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

WE  shall  speak  only  incidentally  of  London  ;  to 
describe  such  a  mammoth  city  even  superficially 
would  require  an  entire  volume.  It  is  situated  on  the 
river  Thames,  fifty  miles  from  its  mouth,  containing  a 
population  of  about  five  millions.  It  is  consequently  the 
largest  metropolis  in  the  world.  Many  of  the  older  streets 
are  confused,  narrow,  and  intricate,  but  the  modern  por- 
tion of  the  city  consists  of  broad,  straight  thoroughfares 
and  fine  substantial  buildings.  No  capital  is  better  sup- 
plied with  public  parks,  the  most  notable  being  Hyde 
Park,  covering  about  four  hundred  acres  in  the  heart  of 
London,  and  forming  the  most  popular  promenade  and 
drive  during  the  favorite  hours  of  the  day,  when  there  is 
always  a  brilliant  display  of  wealth  and  fashion. 

It  was  in  existence  at  the  time  of  Caesar's  invasion  and 
has  flourished  ever  since.  Of  the  many  churches,  new 
and  old,  that  known  as  Westminster  Abbey  is  the  most 
interesting,  being  the  shrine  of  England's  illustrious  dead. 
It  has  been  a  sacred  temple  and  a  royal  sepulchre  for 
many  centuries ;  but  the  towers  were  completed  by  the 
famous  English  architect,  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  who  also 
designed  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  the  grandest  structure  of 
its  kind  in  the  country.  Old  St.  Paul's  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1665-6.  A  Christian  church  has  occupied  the 
same  site  from  a  very  early  period.     The  present  edifice 


322  FO 0  7 -PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

is  five  hundred  feet  long  and  more  than  one-fourth  as 
wide.  The  height  of  the  dome  to  the  top  of  the  cross 
is  over  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet,  while  the  grand  and 
harmonious  proportions  of  the  whole  are  beyond  descrip- 
tion. The  Houses  of  Parliament  form  a  very  imposing 
architectural  pile.  The  Victoria  Tower  is  seventy-five 
feet  square  and  nearly  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high. 
The  clock-tower  is  forty  feet  square  and  three  hundred 
and  eighteen  feet  high.  The  face  of  the  clock,  placed  at 
this  great  elevation,  must  be  very  large  to  be  discernible 
upon  the  street,  and  is  twenty-three  feet  in  diameter. 

The  British  Museum  is  a  noble  institution,  both  in  its 
object  and  its  general  appearance.  Its  front  measures 
three  hundred  and  seventy  feet  in  length,  the  central  por- 
tion being  decorated  with  a  grand  line  of  lofty  columns 
in  the  Ionic  style.  These  columns  are  five  feet  in  diam- 
eter and  forty-five  feet  in  height.  The  collection  of  Greek 
and  Roman  antiquities,  curiosities  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  and  valuable  relics,  undoubtedly  exceed  in  interest 
and  comprehensiveness  any  other  similar  museum.  The 
library  contains  over  a  million  volumes  and  thousands  of 
precious  manuscripts.  The  National  Gallery  of  Paintings 
on  Trafalgar  Square  has  been  formed  at  an  enormous  ex- 
pense, and  is  worthy  of  the  great  metropolis,  though  it  is 
exceeded  in  the  number  of  examples  and  in  the  individual 
merit  of  many  of  the  paintings  by  some  of  the  conti- 
nental galleries  of  Europe.  The  Zoological  Garden,  ad- 
joining Regent's  Park,  is  one  of  the  great  attractions  to 
strangers,  and  of  never-failing  interest  to  the  people, 
being  probably  the  most  complete  and  extensive  collec- 
tion of  wild  and  domestic  animals,  quadrupeds,  birds, 
and  reptiles  in  the  world.      Regent's  Park  is  even  larger 


V 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  323 

than  Hyde  Park.  Besides  these  noble,  health-dispensing 
parks,  —  these  breathing-places  for  a  dense  population,  — 
the  metropolis  is  dotted  here  and  there  with  large  squares, 
varying  in  extent  from  four  to  six  acres  each.  The  most 
notable  of  these  are  Belgrave  Square,  Trafalgar  Square, 
Grosvenor  Square,  Portman  Square,  Eaton  Square,  and 
Russell  Square. 

Twelve  bridges  other  than  railroad  bridges  cross  the  river 
Thames  within  the  city  boundary.  The  largest  manufactur- 
ing interest  in  London  is  that  of  the  breweries,  wherein 
eleven  million  bushels  of  malt  are  annually  consumed. 

Buckinsfham  Palace,  the  town  residence  of  Oueen  Vic- 
toria,  occupies  a  location  facing  St.  James's  Park,  and  is  a 
spacious  building,  but  of  no  architectural  pretention.  The 
famous  tower  of  London,  according  to  tradition,  was  origi- 
nally built  by  Julius  Caesar,  and  is  situated  on  the  east 
side  of  the  city,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Thames.  It  is 
no  longer  used  as  a  prison,  but  is  a  national  armory  and 
museum  of  warlike  implements  of  antiquity.  London  has 
an  underground  railway  running  beneath  the  streets  and 
houses  by  means  of  tunnels,  and  also  through  cuttings 
between  high  walls,  forming  a  complete  belt  round  the 
inner  sections  of  the  city,  while  branch  lines  diverge  to 
the  suburbs.  Statistics  show  that  the  railway  company 
which  controls  the  line  conveys  about  eighty  millions  of 
passengers  annually,  at  an  average  rate  of  twopence  each, 
or  four  cents  of  our  American  currency,  per  trip.  There 
are  over  fifty  regularly  licensed  theatrical  establishments 
in  the  city.  The  charitable  organizations  of  London  are 
on  a  scale  commensurate  with  its  great  wealth  and  popu- 
lation, while  its  educational  facilities  are  on  an  equally 
extensive  scale. 


324  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

Travellers  who  land  in  England  at  Holyhead,  on  their 
way  to  London,  go  to  the  great  metropolis  by  way  of 
Chester,  which  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  cities  in 
Great  Britain.  It  has  a  population  of  a  little  over  thirty 
thousand,  and  retains  more  of  its  ancient  character  than 
any  other  city  of  England.  The  old  defences  have  been 
carefully  preserved,  and  charming  views  of  the  surrounding 
country  may  be  enjoyed  from  the  promenade  which  follows 
the  course  of  the  wall.  Many  of  the  houses  are  so  con- 
structed that  the  second  floors  form  a  series  of  continuous 
galleries  or  covered  ways  for  foot  passengers,  known  as  the 
''  Rows."  There  is  an  ancient  cathedral  here  of  consider- 
able interest,  rendered  familiar  by  the  numerous  pictures 
of  its  several  parts  which  have  been  so  often  published. 
One  of  the  most  popular  race-courses  in  England  is  situ- 
ated just  outside  of  the  city  walls  of  Chester.  There  is 
a  fine  modern  Gothic  residence  in  the  environs,  belonging 
to  the  Marquis  of  Westminster,  known  as  Eaton  Hall,  and 
which  people  travel  long  distances  to  see,  as  it  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  finest  structures  of  its  kind  in  the  kingdom. 

A  railway  journey  of  a  hundred  miles  from  London 
takes  us  into  a  beautiful  portion  of  rural  England,  to  that 
pleasant  watering-place,  the  town  of  Leamington,  where 
some  natural  springs  exist  which  are  believed  to  possess 
certain  medical  properties.  There  is  a  resident  population 
of  twenty  thousand,  which  is  largely  increased  during  the 
attractive  season  of  the  year.  This  neighborhood,  is  not 
only  remarkable  in  a  historical  point  of  view,  but  also  for 
the  rural  beauty  and  quiet  charms  of  its  scenery.  There 
is  here  a  public  garden  of  twelve  or  fifteen  acres  in  the 
middle  of  the  town,  under  a  high  condition  of  cultivation. 

It  is  but  a  short  trip  by  rail  from  Leamington  to  Kenil- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  325 

worth  Castle,  or  rather  to  its  ruins.  We  need  not  narrate 
the  historical  associations  of  this  place.  Scott,  in  his  ad- 
mirable novel,  '' Kenilworth,"  has  rendered  the  reading 
world  familiar  with  it.  The  bare  and  crumbling  walls  are 
an  eloquent  monument  of  the  days  of  chivalry.  The  cas- 
tle is  said  to  have  been  sufficiently  extensive  to  have  ac- 
commiodated  on  one  occasion  Queen  Elizabeth  and  four 
hundred  lords  and  ladies  attached  to  her  household.  It 
was  left  to  the  charming  pen  of  Sir  Walter  Scott  to  fix 
the  history  of  the  time  and  place  upon  the  memory  more 
effectually  than  could  be  done  by  the  pages  of  the  pro- 
fessed historian. 

From  Leamington  we  may  also  make  an  excursion  to 
Warwick  Castle,  one  of  the  grandest  and  best  preserved  of 
mediaeval  structures  to  be  seen  in  Great  Britain,  and  which 
is  occupied  by  the  present  Earl  of  Warwick,  This  relic  of 
the  past,  perhaps  quite  as  ancient  as  Kenilworth,  of  which 
only  the  ruins  remain,  is  in  a  condition  of  perfect  preser- 
vation, and  we  believe  it  has  never  ceased  to  be  occupied 
by  representatives  or  descendants  of  the  same  family.  The 
castle  contains  a  museum  of  antiquity,  including  a  great 
variety  of  armor,  battle-axes,  swords,  flags,  and  war  imple- 
ments generally,  which  were  used  by  the  ancestors  of  the 
present  earl.  There  are  some  choice  paintings  in  the 
spacious  halls,  while  from  the  windows  views  may  be  en- 
joyed, fully  depicting  the  beauties  of  English  rural  scenery. 

Stratford-on-Avon  —  the  birthplace  of  Shakespeare  — 
is  within  a  short  distance  by  rail :  it  contains  some  four 
thousand  inhabitants.  Few  foreign  travellers  fail  to  visit 
Stratford.  We  come  to  the  suggestive  spot  on  a  bright, 
sunny  day,  and  hasten  at  once  to  the  old  church  where 
rest  the  mortal  remains  of  Shakespeare.     Just  back  of  this 


326  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

ancient  Gothic  structure  flows  the  quiet  Avon  in  the  same 
bed  where  it  has  gUded  for  centuries.  A  group  of  hay- 
makers lying  idly  upon  the  grass  on  the  opposite  bank  are 
gossiping  away  the  noon  hour  ;  a  fisherman  with  pole  and 
line  is  daintily  sounding  the  shady  nooks  of  the  peaceful 
river  ;  a  few  white  swans  glide  gracefully  in  the  shadow 
of  the  overhanging  willows,  while  in  the  middle  distance  a 
flock  of  sheep  nibble  the  rich  green  herbage.  We  find  the 
interior  of  the  church  but  little  superior  in  architecture  and 
ornamentation  to  most  country  churches.  The  tomb  of 
the  poet  is  in  the  chancel.  Just  over  the  grave,  in  a  niche 
of  the  wall,  is  a  bust  of  Shakespeare,  which  was  placed 
there  shortly  after  his  death,  and  which  is  believed  to  be  a 
good  and  true  likeness  of  the  original.  He  died  at  the 
comparatively  early  age  of  fifty-three.  We  take  refresh- 
ment at  the  Red  Horse  Inn,  rendered  famous  by  Wash- 
ington Irving,  stroll  thoughtfully  through  the  quaint  old 
village,  and  visit,  with  thrilling  interest,  the  house  in  which 
Shakespeare  was  born. 

From  this  remarkable  vicinity  we  take  passage  over  the 
Great  Northern  Railroad,  by  way  of  Preston  and  Carlisle, 
finally  reaching  Edinburgh,  the  thriving  and  pleasant  cap- 
ital of  Scotland. 

It  is  a  peculiarly  formed  city,  being  built  on  three  paral- 
lel ridges  of  considerable  elevation,  and  is  remarkable  for 
the  general  excellence  and  elegance  of  its  architecture.  The 
older  portion  of  the  city  is  situated  upon  the  loftiest  of  the 
ridges,  and  on  which  the  houses  rise  to  the  height  of  nine 
and  ten  stories  along  the  edges  and  on  the  steep  slopes. 
The  streets  in  the  old  town  are  narrow  and  irregular.  The 
newer  section  occupies  a  lower  ridge,  being  separated  from 
the  old  by  a  valley  which  is  improved  as  a  public  garden 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  327 

and  for  business  purposes.  The  public  and  private  build- 
ings are  mostly  constructed  of  a  white  stone  resembling 
marble,  which  is  quarried  in  the  neighborhood.  The  pop- 
ulation numbers  about  three  hundred  thousand,  occupying 
a  territory  which  measures  just  about  two  square  miles. 
The  longest  street  commences  at  the  Palace  of  Holyrood 
and  ends  at  Castle  Hill,  upon  the  summit  of  which  is 
Edinburgh  Castle,  standing  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

This  might  appropriately  be  called  the  city  of  monu- 
ments. Among  the  most  prominent  are  statues  to  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  Nelson,  Playfair,  Professor  Wilson,  Allan 
Ramsay,  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  and  Robert  Burns. 
Scott's  monument  stands  quite  by  itself  on  Princes  Street, 
and  rises  to  two  hundred  feet  in  height.  Few  monuments 
in  the  world  equal  this  Gothic  structure  in  architectural 
beauty.  The  citizens  of  Edinburgh  may  well  be  proud  of 
their  numerous  educational  institutions  and  charitable 
establishments,  in  which  departments  of  noble  liberality  no 
city  in  Great  Britain  can  surpass  the  Scotch  metropolis. 
Near  by  Holyrood  Palace  are  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
abbey  of  the  same  name,  founded  by  David  I.  nearly  eight 
hundred  years  ago.  In  its  chapel  Queen  Mary  was  married 
to  Lord  Darnley.  In  visiting  the  castle  on  the  hill  we  are 
shown  the  small  room  wherein  Queen  Mary  became  the 
mother  of  James  VI.,  who  was  afterwards  king  of  England. 
The  royal  infant  was  lowered  from  the  window  of  the  lit- 
tle chamber  in  a  basket,  when  friends  received  it  and  thus 
saved  it  from  its  scheming  enemies. 

In  the  High  Street  we  visit  the  house  where  John  Knox, 
the  great  Scottish  reformer,  lived.  Close  by,  in  White 
Horse   Close,   is  the   inn  where   Dr.   Johnson  lodged   in 


328  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

1773,  while  in  the  churchyard  hard  by  are  the  graves  of 
Adam  Smith  and  Dugald  Stewart.  It  is  not  possible  to 
feel  indifferent  to  such  associations.  No  grander  figure 
can  be  found  in  the  history  of  the  Reformation  than  that 
of  John  Knox.  His  biography  reads  like  a  romance. 
Whether  serving  a  two  years'  sentence  in  the  French 
galleys,  enduring  a  siege  in  the  castle  of  St.  Andrews, 
being  tried  for  treason  by  order  of  Queen  Mary,  haranguing 
from  the  pulpit  against  what  he  considered  false  religion- 
ists, or  having  his  steps  dogged  by  assassins,  Knox  never 
swerved  from  what  he  believed  to  be  the  path  of  duty. 

In  the  immediate  environs  of  the  city,  to  the  south  of 
Holyrood,  are  Salisbury  Crags  and  Arthur's  Seat,  always 
visited  by  strangers,  besides  being  a  favorite  resort  of  the 
citizens  of  Edinburgh.  There  is  a  fine  road-way  which 
surrounds  Arthur's  Seat,  known  as  "  The  Queen's  Drive." 
Scott  made  this  vicinity  of  more  than  passing  interest  by 
his  *'  Heart  of  Mid-Lothian,"  and  the  local  guides  point 
out  the  spot  where  Jeanie  Deans  is  represented  to  have 
met  Robertson.  The  ''Queen's  Drive"  affords  from 
several  points  charmingly  comprehensive  views. 

A  drive  of  twenty  miles  through  the  hills  and  plains 
lying  to  the  southeast  of  the  city  will  take  us  to  Melrose, 
a  place  only  noted  for  its  famous  ruins  of  the  Abbey.  It 
was  founded  by  David  I.,  in  11 36,  for  monks  of  the  Cis- 
tercian order,  and  rebuilt  in  an  elaborate  and  elegant  style 
between  the  reign  of  Robert  Bruce  and  James  IV.  It  was 
the  finest  church,  as  it  is  the  noblest  ruin,  in  Scotland. 
Scott  has  rendered  us  familiar  with  it.  From  here  we 
drive  to  Abbotsford,  the  home  of  Sir  Walter,  and  which  is 
still  kept  exactly  in  the  condition  in  which  the  poet  left  it 
on  the  day  of  his  death.     We  wander  through   the  house, 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  329 

lingering  in  the  library,  sit  in  the  chair  before  the  table 
where  he  sat  and  wrote  in  prose  and  poetry ;  we  examine 
the  curious  collection  of  armor  and  the  various  historical 
mementos  which  he  gathered  about  him,  among  which 
are  weapons  once  owned  by  Rob  Roy  and  the  Douglas, 
and  those  of  other  real  characters  about  whom  his  genius 
has  woven  such  romantic  interest.  Abbotsford  House  is 
large,  imposing,  and  beautifully  situated,  the  spacious 
grounds  which  are  attached  to  it  sloping  gracefully  down 
to  the  banks  of  the  river  Tweed,  beyond  which  rise  the 
beautiful  Selkirk  Hills. 

In  travelling  about  the  rural  districts  of  Scotland  in  the 
vicinity  of  Edinburgh,  one  is  impressed  by  the  thrifty 
appearance  of  the  country,  w^hich  seems  to  be  cultivated 
with  great  care.  We  see  many  flocks  of  sheep.  There  is 
not  much  attempt  at  what  is  called  gardening,  but  a  few 
staples  in  grain  are  depended  upon,  and  much  attention  is 
given  to  the  raising  of  sheep,  horses,  and  cattle.  The  men 
and  women  are  of  a  strong,  vigorous  type,  hospitable  and 
kindlv.  The  national  characteristics  of  the  Scotch  exhibit 
themselves  in  the  simplest  transactions.  They  are  a  re- 
markably intelligent  and  well-educated  people ;  steady- 
going,  plodding,  economical,  very  set  in  their  ways  and 
opinions,  being  rather  slow  according  to  American  ideas, 
but  uncommonly  sure  and  reliable. 

Glasgow  differs  from  Edinburgh  in  many  respects.  Its 
situation  is  low,  and  the  view  is  obstructed  by  a  multipli- 
city of  tall,  smoky  chimneys,  with  other  tokens  of  manu- 
facturing industry.  It  is  the  most  populous  city  of  Scotland, 
having  over  half  a  million  of  inhabitants,  and  is  located  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  Clyde.  Except  in  the  manufacturing 
parts  of  the  town,  the  architecture  and  streets  are  fine  and 


330  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVFL;    OR, 

attractive.  Dressed  freestone  is  the  material  most  com- 
monly used  in  the  construction  of  the  best  dwelling-houses 
and  the  public  buildings.  The  river  is  crossed  by  five 
noble  bridges,  — two  of  granite,  one  of  iron,  —  and  two  are 
suspension  bridges.  The  city  reminds  one  forcibly  of 
Pittsburgh  in  America.  The  chemical  works,  foundries, 
and  workshops  of  all  kinds,  using  such  quantities  of  bitu- 
minous or  soft  coal,  create  an  atmosphere  of  a  dense, 
smoky  character. 

Glasgow  contains  four  large  and  beautifully  kept  parks. 
The  city  is  over  a  thousand  years  old,  but  we  have  no  re- 
cord of  its  earliest  three  or  four  centuries.  Situated  in 
the  midst  of  a  district  abounding  in  coal  and  iron,  and 
upon  a  river  which  insures  it  world-w^ide  commerce, 
maritime  enterprise  has  been  a  natural  result.  Here 
James  Watt  made  his  memorable  improvements  in  the 
steam-engine,  and  here  Henry  Bell  first  demonstrated  in 
the  Old  World  the  practicability  of  steam  navigation. 
This  was  in  1812,  four  years  after  Fulton's  successful 
experiments  upon  the  Hudson  River  in  this  country,  but  of 
which  Bell  seems  to  have  had  no  knowledge.  Glasgow  has 
many  handsome  and  substantial  blocks  of  dwelling-houses. 
Buchanan  Street  and  Queen  Street  are  both  remarkably 
elegant  thoroughfares ;  the  former  especially  is  notable 
for  its  large  and  attractive  stores.  Argyle  Street  is  very 
broad  and  two  miles  long,  one  of  the  finest  avenues  in 
Great  Britain.  Here,  as  in  Edinburgh,  there  are  numerous 
public  monuments,  among  which  we  observe  the  eques- 
trian statues  of  William  HI.,  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  in 
front  of  the  Royal  Exchange ;  and  that  of  Queen  Victoria, 
in  George's  Square.  There  is  also  an  obelisk  one  hundred 
and  forty  feet  high,  erected  to  the  honor  of  Nelson,  besides 


JOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  331 

others  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Sir  John  Moore,  James  Watt, 
Sir  Robert  Peel,  etc. 

There  are  two  chimneys  in  the  city  designed  to  carry 
off  the  poisonous  gases  from  the  chemical  works,  which 
are  respectively  four  hundred  and  sixty,  and  four  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  in  height,  the  latter  carrying  off  the  vapor  from 
St.  Rollox,  the  largest  chemical  manufactory  in  the  world. 
These  buildings  cover  fifteen  acres  of  ground,  and  the 
works  give  employment  to  over  a  thousand  men.  Cotton 
factories  are  also  numerous  here,  and  calico-printing  es- 
tablishments. Beer-brewing  is  one  of  the  largest  branches 
of  manufacture,  as  it  is  also  in  London.  In  the  building 
of  iron  steamships  the  port  of  Glasgow  leads  the  world. 
For  a  long  time  there  was  an  average  of  one  steamer  a 
day  launched  on  the  banks  of  the  Clyde,  in  the  vicinity, 
though  this  number  is  not  quite  kept  up  at  the  present 
time.  Clyde  steamers  have  a  high  reputation,  and  are 
given  the  preference  for  durability  and  general  excellence 
of  workmanship. 

Greenock,  with  a  population  of  about  fifty  thousand,  is 
one  of  the  finest  seaports  in  Scotland,  having  also  a  large 
business  in  iron  ship-building.  This  was  the  native  place 
of  James  Watt,  already  spoken  of,  and  here  we  observe 
an  admirable  statue  reared  to  his  memory.  The  city  is 
situated  a  little  over  twenty  miles  from  Glasgow,  on  the 
Firth  of  Clyde.  From  here  we  take  passage  in  a  steamer 
across  the  Irish  Sea  to  Belfast,  the  principal  city  of  North- 
ern Ireland. 

Belfast  has  a  population  of  about  two  hundred  thousand, 
and  next  to  Dublin  is  the  most  important  city  of  the  coun- 
try. It  is  comparatively  modern,  its  tall  chimneys,  large 
factories,  and  spinning-mills  speaking  intelligibly  of  mate- 


332  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

rial  prosperity.  Queen's  College  is  a  large  structure  in 
the  Tudor  style,  with  a  frontage  of  six  hundred  feet  in 
length.  There  is  an  admirable  museum  on  College  Square 
containing  a  large  collection  of  Irish  antiquities.  We  also 
find  an  excellent  botanical  garden  here,  and  there  are  no 
better  school  facilities  in  the  United  Kingdom  than  are  to 
be  enjoyed  in  this  metropolis  of  Northern  Ireland.  From 
Cave  Hill,  in  the  suburbs,  an  elevation  over  a  thousand  feet 
in  height,  a  most  admirable  view  of  the  city  and  its  sur- 
roundings may  be  enjoyed,  the  coast  of  Scotland  being 
visible  on  the  far  horizon.  The  streets  of  Belfast  are 
regular,  broad,  and  cleanly,  and  many  of  the  public  build- 
ings are  superb  in  architectural  effect.  The  city  hall,  the 
custom  house,  the  Ulster  Bank,  and  Linen  Hall  are  all 
noble  structures.  This  is  the  great  headquarters  of  the 
Irish  linen  trade. 

A  short  journey  of  about  a  hundred  miles  due"  south  by 
railway  will  bring  us  to  Dublin,  the  capital  of  Ireland.  It 
has  a  population  of  about  four  hundred  thousand,  and  is 
situated  on  the  shore  of  Dublin  Bay,  with  the  river  Liffey 
flowing  through  its  centre.  It  is  an  attractive  city  w4th 
very  beautiful  surroundings.  There  are  many  grand  pub- 
lic buildings,  several  large  parks,  a  number  of  interesting 
old  churches,  and  a  cathedral, — St.  Patrick's,  —  connected 
with  which  are  the  associations  of  six  centuries.  The 
remains  of  Dean  Swift  are  buried  here.  Near  by  is  the 
house  where  Thomas  Moore,  the  poet,  was  born,  and  not 
far  away  is  the  birthplace  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 
Dublin  has  its  public  library,  its  museum,  its  Royal  College 
of  Surgeons,  and  its  famous  Trinity  College,  where  Gold- 
smith, Swift,  Burke,  and  many  others  graduated.  It  has  also 
many  noble  charitable  organizations  and  societies  for  the 


yOURMEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  333 

diffusion  of  science.  The  zoological  garden  is  one  of  the 
most  extensive  in  Great  Britain.  Dublin  Castle  is  near 
the  centre  of  the  city,  on  slightly  elevated  ground,  contain- 
ing an  armory,  a  chapel,  and  various  government  ofifices. 
This  city  claims  great  antiquity,  having  existed  as  a  capital 
since  the  days  of  Ptolemy.  It  was  for  centuries  held  by 
the  Danes;  in  1169  it  was  taken  by  the  English  under 
Strongbow,  whose  remains  lie  in  Christ  Church  Cathedral. 

From  Dublin  we  take  passage  on  board  of  a  steamer  for 
Liverpool,  the  commercial  metropolis  of  England,  which 
contains  about  seven  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is 
situated  on  the  river  Mersey,  four  miles  from  the  sea.  To 
the  traveller  it  presents  few  attractions  save  those  of  a 
great  shipping  depot,  which  is  unsurpassed  in  the  depart- 
ment of  maritime  enterprise. 

The  moral  and  physical  character  of  the  population, 
taken  in  mass,  is  rather  low,  though  the  city  has  many 
institutions  and  associations  designed  to  promote  intelli- 
gence and  to  fulfil  all  charitable  demands.  The  exhibi- 
tions of  intemperance  to  be  met  with  upon  the  streets  at 
all  hours  forms  a  disgraceful  picture  of  humanity,  in  which 
respect  Liverpool  seems  to  be  more  sadly  afflicted  than  are 
the  lowest  sections  of  London. 

From  here  we  sail  for  Nassau,  New  Providence,  a 
British  possession  in  the  Bahama  Islands,  lying  north- 
east from  Cuba,  the  largest  of  the  West  Indian  Islands. 


334  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

UPON  landing  at  Nassau  we  find  everything  quite 
different  from  our  late  experiences  in  the  large  Eu- 
ropean cities,  and  are  brought  face  to  face  with  nature,  — 
with  a  tropical  race  and  with  tropical  vegetation.  Instead 
of  palatial  edifices  we  have  low  native  huts,  while  the  peo- 
ple we  meet  have  the  bronzed  hue  of  Africans.  This  island, 
which  was  settled  by  Europeans  as  early  as  1629,  contains 
nearly  a  hundred  square  miles.  The  town  has  a  small  free 
library,  several  churches,  a  hospital,  and  a  bank. 

It  seems  singular  that  an  island  like  New  Providence, 
which  is  almost  without  soil,  should  be  so  productive  in 
vegetation.  It  is  surrounded  by  low-lying  coral  reefs,  and 
is  itself  of  the  same  formation.  In  a  pulverized  condition 
this  limestone  forms  the  earth  out  of  which  spring  palm, 
banana,  ceba,  orange,  lemon,  tamarind,  mahogany,  and 
cocoanut  trees,  with  various  others,  besides  an  almost 
endless  variety  of  flowers.  Science  teaches  us  that  all 
soils  are  but  broken  and  decomposed  rock  pulverized  by 
various  agencies  acting  through  long  periods  of  time.  So 
the  molten  lava  which  once  poured  from  the  fiery  mouth 
of  Vesuvius  has  become  the  soil  of  thriving  vineyards 
which  produce  the  choice  grapes  whence  is  made  the 
priceless  Lachryma  Cristi  wine  of  Naples.  This  transfor- 
mation of  lava  into  soil  is  not  accomplished  in  the  period 
of  a  single  life. 

The    luscious    pineapple,   zapota,    mango,   pomegranate, 


yoURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  335 

citron,  custarcl-apple,  and  other  fruits  captivate  the  palate 
of  the  stranger,  while  the  profuseness  and  variety  of  beauti- 
ful ferns  and  orchids  delight  the  eye  of  the  northerner. 
The  negroes  are  mostly  engaged  in  cultivating  pineapples, 
yams,  sweet  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables,  and  a  large 
number  of  the  males  employ  themselves  in  fishing  and 
gathering  sponges.  From  this  locality  comes  the  largest 
supply  of  coarse  sponge  which  is  used  in  England  and 
America.  There  is  also  a  considerable  trade  carried  on 
in  fine  turtle-shell,  which  is  polished  in  an  exquisite  man- 
ner by  the  patient  natives.  The  Bahama  sponges  are  not 
equal  to  those  obtained  in  the  Mediterranean.  But  they 
are  marketable  for  certain  uses,  and  Nassau  exports  half  a 
million  dollars'  worth  annually.  It  is  said  that  sponges 
can  be  propagated  by  cuttings  taken  from  living  speci- 
mens, which,  when  properly  attached  to  a  piece  of  board 
and  sunk  in  the  sea,  will  increase  and  multiply.  Thus  the 
fine  Mediterranean  sponge  can  be  successfully  transported 
to  the  coral  reefs  of  the  Bahamas. 

A  short  drive  or  walk  inland  over  smooth  roads,  formed 
of  smooth,  levelled  coral  rocks,  brings  us  to  the  extensive 
pineapple  fields,  where  this  handsome  fruit  may  be  seen  in 
the  several  stages  of  growth,  varying  according  to  the  sea- 
son of  the  year  and  the  purposes  of  its  use.  If  intended  for 
exportation,  the  fruit  is  gathered  when  well-grown  but 
still  in  a  green  state ;  if  designed  for  canning,  — that  is,  pre- 
serving,—  the  riper  it  is,  the  better  it  is  adapted  to  the  pur- 
pose. Great  quantities  are  put  in  tin  cans  carefully  sealed 
for  use  in  this  and  other  countries.  The  visitor  is  sure  to 
be  impressed  by  the  beauty  and  grace  of  the  cocoanut- 
trees,  their  plume  of  leaves,  often  sixty  feet  from  the 
ground,  notwithstanding  that  the  bare  stem  or  trunk  is 
rarely  over  two  feet  in  thickness. 


336  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

There  are  said  to  be  six  hundred  of  the  Bahama  Islands, 
large  and  small,  of  which  Nassau  is  the  capital,  and  here 
the  English  governor-general  resides.  Many  are  mere 
rocky  islets,  and  not  more  than  twenty  have  fixed  inhabi- 
tants. The  sea-gardens,  as  they  are  called,  situated  just 
off  the  shore  of  the  main  island,  are  extremely  interesting. 
We  go  out  a  short  distance  in  a  row-boat,  and  by  means 
of  a  simple  contrivance  of  wood  and  glass  we  can  look 
many  fathoms  below  the  surface  of  the  sea.  These 
water-glasses  are  easily  made,  being  formed  of  a  small 
wooden  box  three  or  four  inches  square,  open  at  the  top 
and  having  a  water-tight  glass  bottom.  With  the  glass 
portion  slightly  submerged  one  is  able  to  see  distinctly 
the  beautiful  coral  reefs  with  their  marvellous  surround- 
ings. There  are  displayed  tiny  caves  and  grottoes  of 
white  coral,  star-fishes,  sea-urchins,  growing  sponges,  sea- 
fans,  and  bright-colored  fishes,  including  the  humming- 
bird fish,  and  others  like  butterflies  with  mottled  fins  and 
scales,  together  with  that  little  oddity,  the  rainbow-fish. 
The  prevailing  color  of  this  attractive  creature  is  dark 
green,  but  the  tinted  margins  of  its  scales  so  reflect  the 
light  as  to  show  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  and  hence 
its  name.  When  bottled  in  alcohol  for  preservation,  these 
fish  lose  their  native  colors.  This  unique  display  is  en- 
hanced in  beauty  by  the  clearness  of  these  waters,  and  the 
reflected  lights  from  the  snow-white  sandy  bottom,  which 
is  dotted  here  and  there  by  delicate  shells  of  various 
shapes  and  colors.  One  longs  to  descend  among  these 
coral  bowers,  —  these  mermaid  gardens,  —  and  pluck  a 
bouquet  of  the  submarine  flora  in  its  purple,  yellow,  and 
scarlet  freshness. 

The  surface  life  of  these  clear  waters  is  also  extremely 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  337 

interesting.  Here  the  floating  jelly-fish,  called  from  its 
phosphorescence  the  glow-worm  of  the  sea,  is  observed 
in  great  variety,  sheltering  little  colonies  of  young  fishes, 
which  rush  forth  for  a  moment  to  capture  some  passing 
mite,  and  as  quickly  return  again  to  their  cover.  If  we 
take  up  a  handful  of  the  floating  gulf-weed,  we  find  with- 
in the  pale  yellow  leaves  and  berries,  tiny  pipe-fish,  sea- 
horses, and  specimens  of  the  little  nest-building  fishes. 
Thus  this  curious  weed  forms  a  home  for  parasites,  crabs, 
and  shell-fishes,  being  itself  a  sort  of  mistletoe  of  the  ocean. 
The  young  of  the  mackerel  and  the  herring  glide  rapidly 
about  in  shoals,  just  below  the  surface,  near  the  shore, 
like  myriad  pieces  of  silver.  Verily  there  would  seem  to 
be  more  of  animal  life  below  than  above  the  surface  of  the 
waters,  which  is  not  an  unreasonable  conclusion  when  it 
is  remembered  that  the  whole  surface  of  the  globe  is  sup- 
posed to  have  an  area  of  about  two  hundred  million 
square  miles,  and  that  of  these  only  about  fifty  millions 
are  composed  of  dry  land. 

Much  of  the  drinking-water,  and  certainly  the  best 
in  use  at  Nassau,  as  well  as  on  some  of  the  neighboring 
islands,  is  procured  in  a  remarkable  manner  from  the  sea. 
Not  far  from  shore,  on  the  coral  reefs,  there  are  never- 
failing  fresh-water  springs,  bubbling  up  from  the  bottom 
through  the  salt  water  with  such  force  as  to  clearly  in- 
dicate their  locality.  Over  these  ocean  springs  the  peo- 
ple place  sunken  barrels  filled  with  sand,  one  above  an- 
other, the  bottoms  and  tops  being  first  removed.  The 
fresh  water  is  thus  conducted  to  the  surface  through  the 
column  of  sand,  which  acts  as  a  filter,  the  water  being 
sweet  and  palatable,  as  well  as  remarkable  for  its  crystal 
clearness.     So  on    the    arid  shores  of   the    Persian    Gulf, 


338  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

where  rain  seldom  falls,  and  where  there  are  no  rills  to  re- 
fresh the  parched  soil,  fresh  water  is  obtained  from  springs 
beneath  the  sea.  There  it  is  brought  to  the  surface  by 
employing  divers,  who  descend  with  leather  bags.  The 
mouth  of  a  bag  is  placed  over  the  bubbling  spring, 
quickly  filled  and  closed  again,  being  then  drawn  to  the 
surface  by  persons  awaiting  the  signal  from  the  diver, 
who  then  hastens  to  rise  for  needed  air.  There  is  no 
mystery  as  to  the  source  of  these  springs.  The  rain  falls 
on  the  distant  mountains,  and  finding  its  way  through  the 
rocky  ledges,  pursues  its  course  until  it  gushes  forth  in  the 
bed  of  the  gulf. 

A  fortnightly  steamer  from  New  York,  bound  for  Cuba, 
touches  at  Nassau  on  the  southward  trip  to  leave  the  mail, 
and  we  will  avail  ourselves  of  this  opportunity  to  visit  the 
''Queen  of  the  Antilles,"  as  this  island  is  called.  At  first 
we  steam  to  the  north  for  half  a  day,  in  order  to  find  a  safe 
channel  out  of  the  Bahamas,  vv^here  there  is  more  of  shoal 
than  of  navigable  waters,  and  as  we  do  so,  we  leave  many 
islands  behind  us  inhabited  only  by  turtles,  flamingoes, 
and  sea-birds.  But  we  are  soon  steaming  due  south  again 
towards  our  destination,  namely,  the  island  of  Cuba,  five 
hundred  miles  away.  San  Salvador  is  sighted  on  our  star- 
board bow  (right-hand  side),  the  spot  where  Columbus 
first  landed  in  the  New  World.  It  will  be  found  laid 
down  on  most  English  maps  as  Cat  Island,  and  is  now  the 
home  of  two  or  three  thousand  colored  people,  the  de- 
scendants of  imported  Africans.  The  island  is  nearly  as 
large  as  New  Providence.  It  is  said  that  the  oranges 
grown  here  are  the  sweetest  and  best  that  are  known. 
The  voyager  in  these  latitudes  is  constantly  saluted  by 
gentle    breezes   full    of   tropical    fragrance,  intensified    in 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  339 

effect  by  the  distant  view  of  cocoanut,  palmetto,  and  ba- 
nana trees,  clothing  the  islands  in  a  mantle  of  green,  down 
to  the  very  water's  edge.  As  we  glide  along,  gazing  shore- 
ward, now  and  again  little  groups  of  swallows  seem  to  be 
flitting  a  few  feet  above  the  waves,  then  suddenly  disap- 
pearing beneath  the  water.  These  are  flying-fish  enjoy- 
ing an  air-bath,  either  in  frolic  or  in  fear ;  pursued  possibly 
by  some  dreaded  enemy  in  the  sea,  which  they  are  trying 
to  escape. 

It  is  interesting  to  remain  on  deck  at  night  and  watch 
the  heavens  as  we  glide  through  the  phosphorescent  sea. 
Is  it  possible  that  the  moon,  whose  light  renders  objects 
so  plain  that  one  can  see  to  read  small  print,  shines  solely 
by  borrowed  light  t  We  know  it  to  be  so,  and  also  that 
Venus,  Mars,  and  perhaps  Jupiter  and  Saturn  shine  in  a 
similar  manner  with  light  reflected  from  the  sun.  It  is 
interesting  to  adjust  the  telescope,  and  bring  the  starry 
system  nearer  to  the  vision.  If  we  direct  our  gaze  upon  a 
planet,  we  find  its  disk  or  face  sharply  defined  ;  change  the 
direction,  and  let  the  object-glass  rest  upon  a  star,  and  we 
have  only  a  point  of  light  more  or  less  brilliant.  The 
glass  reveals  to  us  the  fact  that  the  '^star-dust "  which  we 
call  the  Milky  Way  is  an  accumulation  of  innumerable 
single  stars.  Sweeping  the  blue  expanse  with  the  tele- 
scope, we  find  some  stars  are  golden,  some  green,  others 
purple,  many  silvery  white,  and  some  are  twins.  Our  use 
of  the  words  ''first  and  second  magnitude"  relates  mainly 
to  distance.  It  is  most  likely  only  a  question  of  distance 
which  regulates  our  vision  or  capacity  for  seeing,  and 
which  makes  these  "lamps  of  the  sky"  look  larger  or 
smaller  to  us. 

When  the  lonely  lighthouse  which  marks  Cape  Maysi, 


340  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

at  the  eastern  point  of  Cuba,  comes  into  view  on  the  star- 
board bow,  the  dim  form  of  the  mountains  of  Hayti  are 
visible  on  the  opposite  horizon.  A  subterranean  connec- 
tion is  believed  to  exist  between  the  mountain  ranges  of 
the  two  islands.  We  are  now  running  through  the  Wind- 
ward Passage,  as  it  is  called ;  by  which  one  branch  of  the 
Gulf  Stream  finds  its  way  northward.  The  Gulf  Stream  ! 
Who  can  explain  satisfactorily  its  ceaseless  current }  What 
keeps  its  tepid  waters,  in  a  course  of  thousands  of  miles, 
from  mingling  with  the  rest  of  the  sea.?  And  finally 
whence  does  it  come  .''  Maury,  the  great  nautical  author- 
ity, says  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  is  its  fountain,  and  its  mouth 
is  the  Arctic  Sea.  The  maps  make  the  eastern  shore  of 
Cuba  terminate  as  sharp  as  a  needle's  point,  but  it  proves 
to  be  very  blunt  in  reality,  where  it  forms  one  side  of  the 
gateway  to  the  Caribbean  Sea,  and  where  the  irregular 
coast  line  runs  due  north  and  south  for  the  distance  of 
many  leagues.  ^ 

The  nights  are  mostly  clear,  soft,  and  lovely  in  this 
region.  As  we  double  Cape  Maysi,  and  the  ship  is  headed 
westward,  the  Southern  Cross  and  the  North  Star  blaze  in 
the  opposite  horizons  at  the  same  time,  the  constellation 
on  our  port  side  (left-hand),  and  the  North  Star  on  the 
starboard  side.  Each  day  at  noon  the  captain  and  his 
officers  determine  the  exact  position  of  the  ship  by  ''taking 
the  sun,"  as  it  is  termed.  When  the  sun  reaches  the 
meridian,  that  is,  the  point  directly  overhead,  the  exact 
moment  is  indicated  by  the  nautical  instrument  known  as 
a  quadrant,  adjusted  to  the  eye  of  the  observer.  The 
figures  marked  on  the  quadrant  give  the  latitude  of  the 
ship  at  the  moment  of  meridian.  The  ship's  time  is  then 
made  to  correspond,  — that  is  to  say,  it  must  indicate  twelve 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  34 1 

o'clock  noon, — after  which  it  is  compared  with  an  exact 
timepiece  called  a  chronometer,  which  keeps  Greenwich 
(English)  time,  and  the  difference  enables  the  observer  to 
determine  the  longitude.  As  fifteen  miles  are  allowed  to 
the  minute,  there  will  be  nine  hundred  miles  to  the  hour. 
Thus,  by  means  of  the  chronometer  and  the  quadrant,  the 
sailing-master  is  enabled  to  designate  his  exact  situation 
upon  the  ocean  chart. 

Soon  after  passing  the  remarkably  sheltered  port  of 
Guantanamo,  which  was  for  nearly  a  century  the  most 
notorious  piratical  rendezvous  in  the  West  Indies,  the 
famous  castle  of  Santiago  is  seen.  It  is  called  Moro 
Castle,  but  it  is  older  than  the  better-known  Moro  of 
Havana,  by  nearly  a  hundred  years.  This  antique,  yellow, 
Moorish-looking  stronghold,  which  modern  gunnery  would 
destroy  in  ten  minutes  or  less,  is  picturesque  to  the  last 
degree,  with  its  crumbling,  honey-combed  battlements,  and 
queer  little  flanking  towers.  It  is  built  upon  the  face  of  a 
lofty,  dun-colored  rock,  upon  whose  precipitous  side  the 
fortification  is  terraced.  Its  position  is  just  at  the  entrance 
of  the  narrow  river  leading  to  the  city,  six  or  eight  miles 
away,  so  that  in  passing  up  the  channel  one  can  speak 
from  the  ship's  deck  to  any  one  who  might  be  standing  on 
the  outer  battlement  of  the  Moro. 

The  winding  channel  which  leads  from  the  sea  to  the 
harbor  passes  through  low  hills  and  broad  meadows 
covered  with  rank  verdure,  cocoanut  groves,  and  fishing 
hamlets.  Thrifty  palms  and  intensely  green  bananas  line 
the  way,  with  here  and  there  upon  the  pleasant  banks  a 
charming  country-house  in  the  midst  of  a  garden  fragrant 
with  flowers.  So  close  is  the  shore  all  the  while  that  one 
seems  to  be  navigating  upon  the  land,  gliding  among  trees 


342  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

and  over  greensward  rather  than  upon  blue  water.  Steam- 
ing slowly  up  the  Santiago  River,  we  presently  pass  a  sharp 
angje  of  the  hills,  leading  into  a  broad  sheltered  bay,  upon 
whose  banks  stands  the  rambling  old  city  of  Santiago  de 
Cuba,  built  on  a  hillside  like  Tangier,  in  Africa,  and  it  is 
almost  as  Oriental  as  the  capital  of  Morocco.  The  first 
and  most  conspicuous  objects  to  meet  the  eye  are  the  twin 
towers  of  the  ancient  cathedral,  which  have  withstood  so 
many  earthquakes. 

This  city,  once  the  capital  of  the  island  of  Cuba,  was 
founded  by  Velasquez,  and  is  now  gray  with  age  and  decay. 
The  many-colored,  one-story  houses  are  ranged  in  narrow 
streets,  which  cross  each  other  at  right  angles  with  con- 
siderable regularity,  though  the  roadways  are  in  an  almost 
impassable  condition.  They  were  once  paved  with  cobble- 
stones, but  are  now  dirty  and  neglected,  a  stream  of 
oiTensive  water  flowing  through  their  centres,  in  which 
little  naked  children,  blacks  and  whites,  are  at  play. 
No  wonder  that  such  numbers  die  here  annually  of  yel- 
low fever.  The  surprise  is  that  it  does  not  prevail  all  the 
year  round. 

Santiago  dates  back  to  the  year  15 14,  making  it  the  old- 
est city  in  the  New  World,  next  to  San  Domingo.  From 
here  Cortez  sailed  in  15 18  to  invade  Mexico.  Here  has 
been  the  seat  of  modern  rebellion  against  the  arbitrary 
and  bitterly  oppressive  rule  of  the  home  government  of 
Spain.  The  city  contains  over  forty  thousand  inhabitants, 
and  is  situated  six  hundred  miles  southeast  of  Havana ; 
after  Matanzas,  it  comes  next  in  commercial  importance, 
its  exports  reaching  the  annual  aggregate  of  eight  millions 
of  dollars.  After  climbing  and  descending  these  narrow, 
dirty  streets  of  Santiago,  and  watching  the  local  charac- 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  343 

teristics  for  a  few  hours,  one  is  glad  to  go  on  board  ship 
again,  and  leave  it  all  behind. 

To  reach  Cienfuegos,  our  next  destination,  we  take  water 
conveyance,  the  common  roads  in  this  district  being,  if 
possible,  a  degree  worse  than  elsewhere  on  the  island. 
It  is  necessary  to  double  Cape  Cruz  and  make  a  coasting 
voyage  along  the  southern  shore  of  the  island,  for  a  dis- 
tance of  four  hundred  miles.  This  is  really  delightful 
sailing  in  any  but  the  hurricane  months;  that  is,  between 
the  middle  of  August  and  the  middle  of  October. 

Cienfuegos  has  some  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants, 
a  large  percentage  of  whom  speak  English,  nine-tenths  of 
its  commerce  being  with  this  country.  It  was  in  this  im- 
mediate neighborhood,  as  Columbus  tells  us,  on  the  occa- 
sion of  his  second  voyage  from  Spain,  that  he  saw  with 
astonishment  the  mysterious  king  who  spoke  to  his  people 
only  by  signs,  and  that  group  of  men  who  wore  long  white 
tunics  like  the  monks  of  mercy,  while  the  rest  of  the 
people  were  entirely  naked.  The  town  is  low  and  level, 
occupying  a  broad  plain.  The  streets  are  wide  and  clean, 
while  the  harbor  is  an  excellent  and  spacious  one.  It  is 
pitiful  to  behold  such  an  array  of  beggars,  and  it  is  strange, 
too,  in  so  small  a  city.  Here  the  maimed,  the  halt,  and 
the  blind  meet  us  at  every  turn.  Saturday  is  the  harvest 
day  for  beggars  in  Cuban  cities,  on  which  occasion  they 
go  about  by  scores  from  door  to  door,  carr3'ing  a  large 
canvas  bag.  Each  well-to-do  family  and  shop  is  supplied 
on  this  day  with  a  quantity  of  small  rolls  of  bread,  one  of 
which  is  almost  invariably  given  to  any  beggar  who  calls, 
and  thus  the  mendicant's  bag  presently  becomes  full  of 
rolls.  These,  mixed  with  a  few  vegetables,  bits  of  fish, 
and    sometimes  meat  and  bones,  are  boiled    into    a    soup 


344  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

which  at  least  keeps  soul  and  body  together  in  the  poor 
creatures  until  another  Saturday  comes  round. 

Cienfuegos  is  in  the  centre  of  a  great  sugar-producing 
district.  Sugar-cane  is  cultivated  much  like  Indian  corn, 
which  it  also  resembles  in  appearance.  It  is  first  planted 
in  rows  and  weeded  until  it  gets  high  enough  to  shade  its 
roots,  after  which  it  is  left  pretty  much  to  itself  until  it 
reaches  maturity.  This  refers  to  the  first  laying  out  of  a 
plantation,  which  will  afterwards  continue  to  throw  up 
fresh  stalks  from  the  roots,  with  a  little  help  from  the  hoe, 
for  several  years.  When  ripe  the  cane  is  of  a  light  golden 
yellow,  streaked  here  and  there  with  red.  The  top  is  dark 
green,  with  long  narrow  leaves  depending, — very  much 
like  those  of  corn, — from  the  centre  of  which  shoots 
upward  a  silvery  stem  fifteen  or  eighteen  inches  in  height, 
and  from  the  tip  grows  a  white-fringed  plume.  The  effect 
of  a  large  field  at  maturity  lying  under  a  torrid  sun,  and 
gently  yielding  to  the  breeze,  is  very  fine. 

Though  the  modern  machinery  for  crushing,  grinding, 
and  extracting  the  sugar  from  the  cane  as  lately  adopted  on 
the  Cuban  plantations  is  expensive,  still  the  result  obtained 
is  so  much  superior  to  that  of  the  old  methods,  that  small 
planters  are  being  driven  from  the  market.  The  low  price  of 
sugar  and  the  great  competition  in  its  production  renders 
economy  in  the  manufacture  quite  necessary,  especially 
now  that  slave  labor  is  abolished. 

The  delightful  climate  is  exemplified  by  the  abundance 
and  variety  of  fruits  and  flowers.  Let  us  visit  a  private 
garden  in  the  environs  of  the  city.  Here  the  mango  with 
its  peach-like  foliage  is  found,  bending  to  the  ground  with 
the  weight  of  its  ripening  fruit ;  the  alligator-pear  is  won- 
derfully beautiful  in  its  blossom,   suggesting  in  form  and 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  345 

color  the  passion-flower ;  the  soft,  delicate  foliage  of  the 
tamarind  is  like  our  sensitive  plant  ;  the  banana-trees  are 
in  full  bearing,  the  deep  green  fruit  (it  is  ripened  and 
turns  yellow  off  the  tree),  being  in  clusters  of  nearly  a 
hundred,  tipped  at  the  same  time  by  a  single,  pendent, 
glutinous  bud  nearly  as  large  as  a  pineapple.  Here  we 
see  also  the  star-apple-tree,  remarkable  for  its  uniform 
and  graceful  shape,  full  of  green  fruit,  with  here  and  there 
a  ripening  specimen.  The  zapota,  in  its  rusty  coat,  hangs 
in  tempting  abundance.  From  low,  broad-spreading  trees 
hangs  the  grape  fruit,  as  large  as  a  baby's  head  and 
yellow  as  gold  ;  while  the  orange  and  lemon  trees,  bearing 
blossoms,  and  green  and  ripening  fruit  all  together,  serve  to 
charm  the  eye  and  to  fill  the  garden  with  rich  fragrance. 

Let  us  examine  one  of  these  products  in  detail,  selecting 
the  banana  as  being  the  most  familiar  to  us  at  the  north. 
It  seems  that  the  female  banana-tree  (for  w^e  must  remem- 
ber that  there  are  sexes  in  the  vegetable  as  well  as  in  the 
animal  kingdom),  bears  more  fruit  than  the  male,  but  not 
so  large.  The  average  clusters  of  the  former  comprise 
about  one  hundred,  but  the  latter  rarely  bears  over  sixty 
or  seventy  distinct  specimens  of  this  finger-shaped  fruit. 
The  stem  grows  to  about  ten  feet  in  height ;  from  the 
centre  of  its  broad  leaves,  which  gather  palm-like  at  the 
top,  there  springs  forth  a  large  purple  bud  ten  inches  long, 
shaped  like  a  huge  acorn,  though  more  pointed.  This 
cone-like  bud  hangs  suspended  from  a  strong  stem,  upon 
which  a  leaf  unfolds,  displaying  a  cluster  of  young  fruit. 
As  soon  as  these  are  large  enough  to  support  the  heat  of 
the  sun  and  the  chill  of  the  night  dews,  the  sheltering  leaf 
drops  off,  and  another  unfolds,  exposing  its  little  brood  of 
fruit ;  and  so  the  process  goes  on  until  six  or  eight  rings 


346  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

of  young  bananas  are  started,  which  gradually  develop  to 
full  size.  The  banana  is  a  plant  which  dies  down  to  the 
ground  after  fruiting,  but  it  annually  sprouts  again  from 
the  same  roots. 

We  will  continue  our  journey  towards  Havana  by  way 
of  Matanzas,  crossing  the  island  so  as  to  penetrate  at  once 
into  a  section  of  luxuriant  tropical  nature,  where  we  see 
the  cactus  in  great  variety,  flowering  trees,  and  ever- 
graceful  palms,  with  occasional  trees  of  the  ceba  family 
grown  to  vast  size.  Vegetation  here,  unlike  human  beings, 
seems  never  to  grow  old,  never  to  falter  in  productiveness  ; 
crop  succeeds  crop,  harvest  follows  harvest  ;  it  is  an  end- 
less cycle  of  abundance.  Miles  upon  miles  of  the  bright, 
golden  sugar-cane  lie  in  all  directions  ;  among  the  planta- 
tions here  and  there  is  seen  the  little  cluster  of  low  build- 
ings constituting  the  laborers'  quarters,  and  near  by  is  the 
tall,  white  chimney  of  the  sugar-mill,  emitting  its  thick 
volume  of  smoke,  like  the  funnel  of  a  steamship.  A  little 
on  one  side  stands  the  planter's  house,  low  and  white,  sur- 
rounded by  shade-trees  and  flower-plats.  Scores  of  dusky 
Africans  give  life  to  the  scene,  and  the  overseer,  on  his 
little  Cuban  pony,  dashes  hither  and  thither  to  keep  all 
hands  advantageously  at  work.  One  large  gang  is  busy 
cutting  the  ripe  cane  with  sword-like  knives  ;  some  are 
loading  the  stalks  upon  ox-carts  ;  some  are  driving  loads  to 
the  mill ;  and  some  are  feeding  the  cane  between  the  great 
steel  crushers,  beneath  which  pours  forth  a  continuous 
jelly-like  stream  which  is  conducted  by  iron  pipes  to  the 
boilers.  Men,  women,  and  children  are  spreading  the 
refuse  to  dry  in  the  sun,  after  which  it  will  be  used  as  fuel 
beneath  the  boilers.  Coopers  are  heading  up  hogsheads 
full   of   the  manufactured   article,   and   other  laborers  are 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  347 

rolling  up  empty  ones  to  be  filled.  Formerly  the  overseers 
were  never  seen  without  the  long-lashed  whip,  but  slavery 
no  longer  exists  as  an  institution.  The  negroes  are  free, 
though  they  work  for  very  small  wages. 

Occasionally  in  the  trip  across  the  island  we  pass 
through  a  crude  but  picturesque  hamlet,  having  the 
mouldering  stamp  of  antiquity,  with  low  straggling  houses 
built  of  rude  frames,  covered  at  side  and  roof  with  palm- 
bark  and  leaves.  Chimneys,  there  are  none,  —  none  even 
in  the  cities,  —  charcoal  being  alone  used,  and  all  cooking 
is  done  in  the  open  air.  About  the  doors  of  the  long,  irreg- 
ular posada,  or  inn,  a  dozen  saddle-horses  are  seen  tied  to 
a  bar  erected  for  the  purpose,  while  their  owners  are 
smoking  and  drinking  inside  ;  but  there  are  no  wheeled 
vehicles  to  be  seen.  The  roads  are  only  passable  for  men 
on  foot  or  horseback.  The  people,  the  cabins,  and  the 
horses  all  are  stained  with  the  red  dust  of  the  soil,  recall- 
ing our  Western  Indians  in  their  war  paint.  This  pigment, 
or  colored  dirt,  penetrates  and  adheres  to  everything,  fills 
the  railroad  cars,  and  decorates  the  passengers  with  a  dingy 
brick  color.  It  is  difficult  to  realize  that  these  compara- 
tively indifferent  places  through  which  we  glide  so  swiftly 
are  of  any  importance,  and  the  permanent  home  of  any 
one.  When  the  cars  stop  at  the  small  way-stations,  they 
are  instantly  boarded  by  lottery-ticket  sellers,  boys  with 
tempting  fruit,  green  cocoanuts,  ripe  oranges,  and  bananas, 
all  surprisingly  cheap.  Here,  too,  is  the  guava-seller, 
with  neatly  sealed  tin  cans  of  this  favorite  preserve. 
Indeed,  it  seems  to  rain  guava  jelly  in  Cuba.  At  a  shanty 
beside  the  road  where  we  stop  at  noon,  a  large  mulatto 
woman  retails  coffee  and  island  rum,  while  a  score  of 
native  whites  lounge  about  with  slouched  hats,  hands  in 


348  Foor-PRiNTS  of  travel,-   or, 

pockets,  and  puffing  cigarettes,  —  pictures  of  idleness  and 
indifference. 

Stray  dogs  hang  about  the  car-wheels  and  track  to  pick 
up  the  crumbs  which  passengers  throw  away  from  their 
lunch-baskets.  Just  over  the  wild  pineapple  hedge  close 
at  hand,  half  a  dozen  naked  negro  children  hover  round 
the  door  of  a  low  cabin  ;  the  mother,  fat  and  shining  in  her 
one  garment,  gazes  with  arms  akimbo  at  the  scene  of  which 
she  forms  a  typical  part.  The  engineer  imbibes  a  penny 
drink  of  thin  Cataline  wine  and  hastens  back  to  his  post. 
The  station  bell  rings,  the  steam  whistle  is  sounded,  and 
we  are  quickly  on  our  way  again,  to  repeat  the  picture  six 
or  eight  leagues  farther  on. 

As  we  approach  Matanzas,  the  scene  undergoes  a  radical 
change.  Comfortable  habitations  are  multiplied,  good 
roads  appear  winding  gracefully  about  the  country,  and 
groves  and  gardens  come  into  view  with  small  dairy  farms. 
Superb  specimens  of  the  royal  palm  begin  to  multiply 
themselves,  always  suggestive  of  the  Corinthian  column. 
Scattered  about  the  scene  a  few  handsome  cattle  are 
observed  cropping  the  rank  verdure.  There  is  no  green- 
sward in  the  tropics,  grass  is  not  cultivated,  and  hay  is 
never  made.  Such  fodder  as  is  fed  to  domestic  animals  is 
cut  green  and  brought  into  the  city  from  day  to  day. 

Notwithstanding  the  ceaseless  novelty  of  the  scene,  one 
becomes  a  little  fatigued  by  the  long,  hot  ride ;  but  as  we 
draw  nearer  to  Matanzas,  the  refreshing  air  from  the  Gulf 
suddenly  comes  to  our  relief,  full  of  a  bracing  tonic  which 
renders  all  things  tolerable.  The  sight  of  the  broad  har- 
bor, under  such  circumstances,  lying  with  its  flickering, 
shimmering  surface  under  the  afternoon  sun,  is  very  beau- 
tiful to  behold. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  349 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

THE  island  of  Cuba  was  discovered  by  Columbus,  in 
October  of  the  year  1492 ;  the  continent  of  America 
was  not  discovered  until  six  years  later, — that  is,  in  1498. 
Columbus  and  his  followers  found  the  land  inhabited  by  a 
peculiar  race ;  hospitable,  inoffensive,  timid,  fond  of  the 
dance,  yet  naturally  indolent.  They  had  some  definite 
idea  of  God  and  heaven,  and  were  governed  by  patriarchs 
whose  age  gave  them  precedence.  They  spoke  the  dialect 
of  the  Lucagos  or  Bahamas,  from  which  islands  it  was 
thought  they  originated,  but  it  would  seem  more  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  both  the  people  of  the  Bahamas  and  of  the 
West  Indian  islands  originally  came  from  the  mainland ;  that 
is,  either  from  north  or  south  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

The  natives  were  at  once  subjected  by  the  new-comers, 
who  reduced  them  to  a  condition  of  slavery,  and  proving 
to  be  hard  taskmasters,  the  poor  overworked  creatures 
died  by  hundreds,  until  they  had  nearly  disappeared. 
They  were  of  tawny  complexion,  and  beardless,  resembling 
in  many  respects  our  native  Indians.  As  Columbus  de- 
scribed them  in  his  first  letter  sent  to  his  royal  patrons  in 
Spain,  they  were  "  loving,  tractable,  and  peaceable ;  though 
entirely  naked,  their  manners  were  decorous  and  praise- 
worthy." The  wonderful  fertility  of  the  soil,  its  range  of 
noble  mountains,  its  widespread  and  well-watered  plains, 
with  its  extended  coast-line  and  excellent  harbors,  all  chal- 
lenged the  admiration  of  the  discoverers,  so  that  Columbus 


350  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL;     OR, 

recorded  in  his  journal  these  words  :  "  It  is  the  most  beau- 
tiful island  that  the  eyes  of  man  ever  beheld,  full  of  excel- 
lent ports  and  deep  rivers." 

The  Spaniards  were  surprised  to  see  the  natives  using 
rude  pipes,  in  which  they  smoked  a  certain  dried  leaf  with 
apparent  gratification.  Tobacco  was  native  to  the  soil,  and 
in  the  use  of  this  now  well-nigh  universal  narcotic,  these 
simple  savages  indulged  in  an  original  luxury,  or  habit, 
which  the  Spanish  invaders  were  not  slow  in  acquiring. 

The  flowers  were  strongly  individualized.  The  frangi- 
panni,  tall,  and  almost  leafless,  with  thick,  flesh-like  shoots, 
and  decked  with  a  small,  white  blossom,  was  fragrant  and 
abundant.  Here,  also,  was  the  wild  passion-flower,  in 
which  the  Spaniards  thought  they  beheld  the  emblem  of 
our  Saviour's  passion.  The  golden-hued  peta  was  found 
beside  the  myriad-flowering  oleander  and  the  night-bloom- 
ing cereus,  while  the  luxuriant  undergrowth  was  braided 
with  the  cactus  and  the  aloe.  They  were  also  delighted 
by  tropical  fruits  in  confusing  variety,  of  which  they  knew 
not  even  the  names. 

This  was  four  hundred  years  ago,  and  to-day  the  same 
flowers  and  the  same  luscious  fruits  grow  upon  the  soil  in 
similar  abundance.  Nature  in  this  land  of  endless  summer 
puts  forth  strange  eagerness,  ever  running  to  fruits,  flowers, 
and  fragrance,  as  if  they  were  outlets  for  her  exuberant 

fancy. 

Diego  Velasquez,  the  first  governor  of  the  island  under 
Spanish  rule,  appears  to  have  been  an  energetic  magis- 
trate, and  to  have  ruled  affairs  with  intelligence.  He 
did  not  live,  however,  in  a  period  when  justice  erred 
on  the  side  of  mercy,  and  his  harsh  and  cruel  treatment 
of    the    natives    will    always    remain    a    blot    upon    his 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  35  I 

memory.  Emigration  was  fostered  by  the  home  govern- 
ment, and  cities  were  estabUshed  in  the  several  divisions 
of  the  island  ;  but  the  new  province  was  mainly  considered 
in  the  light  of  a  military  station  by  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment in  its  operations  against  Mexico.  Thus  Cuba  became 
the  headquarters  of  the  Spanish  power  in  the  west,  form- 
ing the  point  of  departure  for  those  military  expeditions 
which,  though  small  in  number,  were  yet  so  formidable  in 
the  energy  of  the  leaders,  and  in  the  arms,  discipline, 
courage,  fanaticism,  and  avarice  of  their  followers,  that 
they  were  fully  adequate  to  carry  out  the  vast  scheme  of 
conquest  for  which  they  were  designed. 

The  Spaniards  who  invaded  Mexico  encountered  a  peo- 
ple who  had  attained  a  far  higher  degree  of  civilization 
than  their  red  brethren  of  the  outlying  Caribbean  Islands, 
or  those  of  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  continent,  now 
forming  the  United  States.  Vast  pyramids,  imposing 
sculptures,  curious  arms,  fanciful  garments,  various  kinds 
of  manufactures,  filled  the  invaders  with  surprise.  There 
was  much  which  was  curious  and  strange  in  their  religion, 
while  the  capital  of  the  Mexican  empire  presented  a  fas- 
cinating spectacle  to  the  eyes  of  Cortez  and  his  followers. 
The  rocky  amphitheatre  in  the  midst  of  which  it  was  built 
still  remains,  but  the  great  lake  which  was  its  grandest 
feature,  traversed  by  causeways  and  covered  with  floating 
gardens,  is  gone.  The  Aztec  dynasty  was  doomed.  In 
vain  did  the  inhabitants  of  the  conquered  city,  roused  to 
madness  by  the  cruelty  and  extortion  of  the  victors,  expel 
them  from  their  midst.  Cortez  refused  to  flee  further  than 
the  shore  ;  the  light  of  his  burning  vessels  rekindled  the 
desperate  valor  of  his  followers,  and  Mexico  fell,  as  a  few 
years  after  did  Peru  beneath  the  sword  of  Pizarro,  thus 


352  FOOT-PRINTS   OF  TRAVEL;    OR, 

completing  the  scheme  of  conquest,  and  giving  Spain  a 
colonial  empire  more  splendid  than  that  of  any  power  in 
Christendom. 

In  the  meantime,  under  numerous  and  often-changed 
captains-general,  the  island  of  Cuba  increased  in  popula- 
tion by  free  emigration  from  Spain,  and  by  the  constant 
cruel  importation  of  slaves  from  Africa.  It  may  be  said 
to  have  been  governed  by  a  military  despotism  from  the 
outset  to  the  present  time,  and  nothing  short  of  such  an 
arbitrary  rule  could  have  maintained  the  connection  be- 
tween the  island  and  so  exacting  a  mother  country,  situ- 
ated more  than  three  thousand  miles  across  the  ocean. 

The  form  of  the  island  is  quite  irregular,  resembling  the 
blade  of  a  Turkish  cimeter  slightly  curved  back,  or  that  of 
a  long,  narrow  crescent.  It  stretches  away  in  this  shape 
from  east  to  west,  throwing  its  western  end  into  a  curve, 
and  thus  forming  a  partial  barrier  to  the  outlet  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico,  as  if  at  some  ancient  period  it  had  been  a  part 
of  the  American  continent,  severed  on  its  north  side  from 
the  Florida  Peninsula  by  the  wearing  of  the  Gulf  Stream, 
and  from  Yucatan  on  its  southwestern  point  by  a  current 
setting  into  the  Gulf.  Two  channels  are  thus  formed  by 
which  the  Mexican  Gulf  is  entered. 

One  neither  departs  from  nor  approaches  the  Cuban 
shore  without  crossing  that  remarkable  ocean-river  to 
which  we  have  so  often  referred  in  these  pages,  —  the 
Gulf  Stream,  —  with  banks  and  bottom  of  cold  water, 
while  its  body  and  surface  are  warm.  Its  color  in  the 
region  of  the  Gulf  is  indigo-blue,  so  distinct  that  the 
eye  can  follow  its  line  of  demarkation  where  it  joins 
the  common  water  of  the  sea.  Its  surface  temperature 
on  the  coast  of   the   United    States    is   from    75°  to  80°. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  353 

Its  current,  of  a  speed  of  four  to  five  miles  per  hour, 
expends  immense  power  in  its  course,  and  forms  a  body 
of  water  in  the  latitude  of  the  Carolina  coast  fully  two 
hundred  miles  wide.  Its  temperature  diminishes  very 
gradually,  while  it  moves  thousands  of  leagues,  until  one 
branch  loses  itself  in  Arctic  regions,  and  the  other  breaks 
on  the  coast  of  Europe. 

The  sea-bottom,  especially  near  the  continents,  resem- 
bles the  neighboring  land,  and  consists  of  hills,  mountains, 
and  valleys,  like  the  earth  upon  which  we  live.  A  practi- 
cal illustration  of  this  fact  is  found  in  the  soundings  taken 
by  the  officers  of  our  Coast  Survey  in  the  Caribbean  Sea, 
where  a  valley  w^as  found  giving  a  water-depth  of  three 
thousand  fathoms,  twenty-five  miles  south  of  Cuba.  The 
Cayman  Islands,  in  that  neighborhood,  are  the  summits  of 
mountains  bordering  this  deep  valley  2\  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  which  has  been  found,  by  a  series  of  soundings,  to 
extend  over  seven  hundred  miles  from  between  Cuba  and 
Jamaica  nearly  to  the  Bay  of  Honduras,  with  an  average 
breadth  of  eighty  miles.  Thus  the  island  of  Grand  Cay- 
man, scarcely  twenty  feet  above  sea-level,  is  said  to  be  a 
mountain -top  twenty  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
above  the  bottom  of  the  submarine  valley  beside  which 
it  rises,  —  an  altitude  exceeding  that  of  any  mountain  on 
the  North  American  continent.  A  little  more  than  five 
miles,  or  say  twenty-seven  thousand  feet,  is  the  greatest 
depth  yet  sounded  at  sea. 

Cuba  is  the  most  westerly  of  the  West  Indian  Islands, 
and  compared  with  the  others  has  nearly  twice  as  much 
superficial  extent  of  territory,  being  about  as  large  as 
England  proper,  without  the  principality  of  Wales.  Its 
greatest   length   from  east   to  west  is  very  nearly  eight 


354  FOOT-PRINTS  OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

hundred  miles,  its  narrowest  part  is  over  twenty  miles, 
and  its  average  width  fifty.  The  circumference  is  two 
thousand  miles,  and  it  contains  over  forty  thousand  square 
miles. 

The  nearest  port  of  the  island  to  this  continent  is 
Matanzas,  lying  due-south  from  Cape  Sable,  Florida,  a 
distance  of  a  hundred  and  thirty  miles.  Havana  is  situ- 
ated some  sixty  miles  west  of  Matanzas,  and  it  is  here 
that  the  island  divides  the  entrance  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
whose  coast-line  measures  six  thousand  miles,  finding  the 
outlet  for  its  commerce  along  the  shore  of  Cuba,  almost 
within  range  of  the  guns  in  Moro  Castle.  Lying  thus  at 
our  very  door,  as  it  were,  this  island  stands  like  a  sentinel 
guarding  the  approaches  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  whose 
waters  wash  the  shores  of  five  of  the  United  States,  and 
by  virtue  of  the  same  position  barring  the  entrance  of 
the  great  river,  the  Mississippi,  which  drains  half  the 
continent  of  North  America.  So,  also,  Cuba  keeps  watch 
and  ward  over  our  communication  with  California  by  way 
of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore, 
when  we  realize  the  commanding  position  of  the  island, 
that  so  much  interest  attaches  to  its  ultimate  destiny. 

Matanzas  is  situated  in  one  of  the  most  fertile  portions 
of  the  island,  the  city  covering  the  picturesque  hills  by 
which  the  bay  is  surrounded.  The  fortifications  are  of  a 
meagre  character  and  could  not  withstand  a  well-directed 
attack  for  half  an  hour.  The  custom  house  is  the  most 
prominent  building  which  strikes  the  eye  on  approaching 
the  city  by  water.  Though  built  of  stone,  it  is  only  one 
story  in  height,  and  was  erected  at  the  commencement 
of  the  present  century.  The  city  is  connected  with 
Havana  by  railway,  of  which  there  are  nearly  a  thousand 
miles  in  operation  in  the  island. 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  355 

Club  life  prevails  at  Matanzas,  as  usual  at  the  expense 
of  domestic  or  family  ties  ;  the  same  may  be  said  of 
Havana,  and  both  cities  in  this  respect  are  like  London. 
It  is  forbidden  to  discuss  politics  in  these  Cuban  clubs, 
the  hours  being  occupied  mostly  in  playing  cards,  dom- 
inoes, chess,  and  checkers,  for  money.  Gambling  is  as 
natural  and  national  in  Cuba  as  in  China.  Many  Chinese 
are  seen  about  the  streets  and  stores  of  Matanzas,  vari- 
ously employed,  and  usually  in  a  most  forlorn  and  im- 
poverished condition,  —  poor  creatures  who  have  survived 
their  '*  apprenticeship "  and  are  now  free.  They  were 
brought  here  under  the  disguise  of  the  Coolie  system, 
as  it  is  called,  but  which  was  only  slavery  in  another 
form.  These  Chinese  are  peaceful,  do  not  drink  spirit- 
uous liquors,  work  hard,  never  meddle  with  politics,  and 
live  on  one-half  they  can  earn,  so  as  to  save  enough  to 
pay  their  passage  home  to  their  beloved  land.  Few  suc- 
ceed ;  eight-tenths  of  those  imported  into  the  island  have 
been  not  only  cheated  out  of  the  promised  wages,  but 
worked  to  death  ! 

The  famous  afternoon  drive  and  promenade  of  Matanzas 
was  formerly  the  San  Carlos  Paseo.  It  has  fine  possibil- 
ities, and  is  lined  and  beautifully  ornamented  with  thrifty 
Indian  laurels.  It  overlooks  the  spacious  harbor  and 
outer  bay,  but  is  now  entirely  neglected  and  abandoned ; 
even  the  roadway  is  green  with  vegetation,  and  gullied 
with  deep  hollows.  It  is  the  coolest  place  in  the  city  at 
the  evening  hour,  but  the  people  have  become  so  poor 
that  there  are  hardly  a  dozen  private  vehicles  in  the  city. 
Matanzas,  like  all  the  cities  of  Cuba,  is  under  the  shadow 
of  depressed  business,  evidence  of  which  meets  one  on 
every  hand. 


356  FOor-PKixrs  of  travel;   or, 

Havana  is  a  thoroughly  representative  city,  and  is  the 
centre  of  the  talent,  wealth,  and  population  of  the  island. 
Moro  Castle,  with  its  Dahlgren  guns  peeping  out  through 
the  yellow  stones,  and  its  tall  lighthouse,  stands  guard 
over  the  narrow  entrance  of  the  harbor.  The  battery  of 
La  Punta,  on  the  opposite  shore,  answers  to  the  Moro. 
There  are  also  the  long  range  of  cannon  and  barracks  on 
the  city  side,  and  the  massive  fortress  of  the  Cabanas 
crowning  the  hill  behind  the  Moro.  All  these  are  deco- 
rated with  the  yellow  flag  of  Spain,  —  the  banner  of  gold 
and  blood.  These  numerous  and  powerful  fortifications 
show  how  important  the  home  government  regards  this 
island,  and  yet  modern  gunnery  renders  these  defences 
comparatively  useless. 

The  city  presents  a  large  extent  of  public  buildings, 
cathedrals,  antique  and  venerable  churches.  It  has  been 
declared  in  its  prosperity  to  be  the  richest  city,  for  its  num- 
ber of  square  miles,  in  Christendom,  but  this  cannot  be 
truthfully  said  of  it  now.  There  is  nothing  grand  in  its 
appearance  as  we  enter  the  harbor,  though  Baron  Hum- 
boldt pronounced  it  the  gayest  and  most  picturesque  sight 
in  America.  Its  architecture  is  not  remarkable,  its  enor- 
mous prison  overshadowing  all  other  public  buildings. 
This  structure  is  designed  to  contain  five  thousand  prison- 
ers at  one  time.  The  hills  which  make  up  the  distant 
background  are  not  sufficiently  high  to  add  much  to  the 
general  effect.  The  few  palm-trees  which  catch  the  eye 
here  and  there  give  an  Oriental  aspect  to  the  scene,  quite 
in  harmony  with  the  atmospheric  tone  of  intense  sunshine. 

Havana  contains  numerous  institutions  of  learning,  but 
not  of  a  high  character.  It  has  a  medical  and  a  law  school, 
but  education  is  at  a  low  ebb.     There  is  a  Royal  Seminary 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  357 

for  girls,  but  it  is  scarcely  more  than  a  name.  The  means 
of  obtaining  a  good  education  can  hardly  be  said  to  exist, 
and  most  of  the  youth  of  both  sexes  belonging  to  the 
wealthier  class  are  sent  to  this  country  for  school  purposes. 
The  city  was  originally  surrounded  by  a  wall,  though  the 
population  has  long  since  extended  its  dwellings  and  busi- 
ness structures  far  into  what  was  once  the  suburbs.  A  por- 
tion of  the  old  wall  is  still  extant,  crumbling  and  decayed, 
but  it  has  mostly  disappeared.  The  narrow  streets  of  the 
old  town  are  paved  or  macadamized,  and  cross  each  other 
at  right  angles  ;  but  in  their  dimensions  they  recall  those  of 
Toledo  in  Spain,  whose  Moorish  architecture  is  also  fol- 
lowed here. 

The  Paseo  is  the  favorite  afternoon  drive  of  the  citi- 
zens, where  the  ladies  in  open  carriages  and  the  gentlemen 
on  horseback  pass  and  repass  each  other,  gayly  saluting,  the 
ladies  with  a  coquettish  flourish  of  the  fan,  and  the  gentle- 
men with  a  peculiar  wave  of  the  hand.  The  Alameda,  a 
promenade  and  garden  combined,  —  every  Spanish  city 
has  a  spot  so  designated,  —  skirts  the  shore  of  the  harbor 
on  the  city  side,  near  the  south  end  of  Oficios  Street,  and 
is  a  favorite  resort  for  promenaders,  where  a  refreshing 
coolness  is  breathed  from  off  the  sea.  This  Alameda 
might  be  a  continuation  of  the  Neapolitan  Chiaja  (the 
afternoon  resort  of  Naples).  With  characteristics  quite 
different,  still  these  shores  remind  us  of  the  Mediterranean, 
Sorrento,  Amalfi,  and  Capri,  recalling  the  shadows  which 
d^ily  creep  up  the  heights  of  San  Elmo,  and  disappear 
with  the  setting  sun  behind  the  orange-groves. 

The  cathedral  of  Havana,  on  Empedrado  Street,  is  a 
structure  of  much  interest,  its  rude  pillared  front  of  de- 
faced and  moss-grown  stone  plainly  telling  of  the  wear  of 


358  FOOT-PRINTS   OF   TRAVEL;    OR, 

time.  The  two  lofty  towers  are  hung  with  many  bells 
which  daily  call  to  morning  and  evening  prayers,  as  they 
have  done  for  a  hundred  years  and  more.  The  church  is 
not  elaborately  ornamented,  but  strikes  one  as  being  un- 
usually plain.  It  contains  a  few  oil  paintings  of  moderate 
merit ;  but  most  important  of  all  is  the  tomb  where  the 
ashes  of  Columbus  so  long  reposed.  All  that  is  visible  of 
this  tomb,  which  is  on  the  right  of  the  altar,  is  a  marble 
tablet  six  feet  square,  upon  w^hich,  in  high  relief,  is  a  bust 
of  the  great  discoverer. 

As  we  view  the  scene.  Military  Mass  begins.  The  con- 
gregation- is  very  small,  consisting  almost  exclusively  of 
women,  who  seem  to  do  penance  for  both  sexes  in  Cuba. 
The  military  band,  which  leads  the  column  of  infantry, 
marches,  playing  an  operatic  air,  while  turning  one  side  for 
the  soldiery  to  pass  on  towards  the  altar.  The  time-keep- 
ing steps  of  the  men  upon  the  marble  floor  mingle  with 
drum,  fife,  and  organ.  Over  all,  one  catches  now  and  then 
the  subdued  voice  of  the  priest,  reciting  his  prescribed 
part  at  the  altar,  where  he  kneels  and  reads  alternately. 
The  boys  in  white  gowns  busily  swing  incense  vessels ;  the 
tall,  flaring  candles  cast  long  shadows  athwart  the  high 
altar ;  the  files  of  soldiers  kneel  and  rise  at  the  tap  of  the 
drum  ;  seen  through  an  atmosphere  clouded  by  the  fumes 
of  burning  incense,  all  this  combines  to  make  up  a  picture 
which  is  sure  to  forcibly  impress  itself  upon  the  memory. 

It  seems  unreasonable  that,  when  the  generous,  fruitful 
soil  of  Cuba  is  capable  of  producing  two  or  three  crops  of 
vegetation  annually,  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  island 
should  be  so  poorly  developed.  Thousands  of  acres  of 
virgin  soil  have  never  been  broken.  Cuba  is  capable  of 
supporting  a  population  of  almost  any  density ;  certainly 


yOURNEYINGS  IN  MANY  LANDS.  359 

five  or  six  millions  of  people  might  find  goodly  homes 
here,  and  yet  the  largest  estimate  of  the  present  number 
of  inhabitants  gives  only  a  million  and  a  half.  When  we 
tread  the  fertile  soil  and  behold  the  clustering  fruits  in 
such  abundance, — the  citron,  the  star-apple,  the  perfumed 
pineapple,  the  luscious  banana,  and  others,  —  not  forget- 
ting the  various  noble  woods  which  caused  Columbus  to 
exclaim  wdth  pleasure,  we  are  forcibly  struck  with  the 
thought  of  how  much  nature,  and  how  little  man,  has  done 
for  this  *'  Eden  of  the  Gulf."  We  long  to  see  it  peopled 
by  those  who  can  appreciate  the  gifts  of  Providence,  — 
men  willing  to  do  their  part  in  grateful  recognition  of  the 
.possibilities  so  liberally  bestowed  by  Heaven. 

As  we  go  on  shipboard  to  sail  for  our  American  home, 
some  reflections  naturally  occur  to  us.  To  visit  Cuba  is 
not  merely  to  pass  over  a  few  degrees  of  latitude  ;  it  is  to 
take  a  step  from  the  nineteenth  century  back  into  the 
dark  ages.  In  a  climate  of  tropical  luxuriance  and  endless 
summer,  we  are  in  a  land  of  starless  political  darkness. 
Lying  under  the  lee  of  a  Republic,  where  every  man  is  a 
sovereign,  is  a  realm  where  the  lives,  liberties,  and  fortunes 
of  all  are  held  at  the  will  of  a  single  individual,  who  ac- 
knowledges no  responsibility  save  to  a  nominal  ruler  more 
than  three  thousand  miles  away. 

Healthful  in  climate,  varied  in  productions,  and  most 
fortunately  situated  for  commerce,  there  must  yet  be  a 
grand  future  in  store  for  Cuba.  Washed  by  the  Gulf 
Stream  on  half  her  border,  she  has  the  Mississippi  pouring 
out  its  riches  on  one  side,  and  the  Amazon  on  the  other. 
In  such  close  proximity  to  the  United  States,  and  with  so 
obvious  a  common  interest,  her  place  seems  naturally  to 
be  within  our  own  constellation  of  stars. 


360  FOOT-PRINTS    OF   TRAVEL. 

But  as  regards  the  final  destiny  of  Cuba,  that  question 
will  be  settled  by  certain  economic  laws  which  are  as  sure 
in  their  operation  as  are  those  of  gravitation.  No  matter 
what  our  individual  wishes  may  be  in  this  matter,  such 
feelings  are  as  nothing  when  arraigned  against  natural 
laws.  The  commerce  of  the  island  is  a  stronger  factor  in 
the  problem  than  is  mere  politics  ;  it  is  the  active  agent 
of  civilization  all  over  the  world.  It  is  not  cannon,  but 
ships  ;  not  gunpowder,  but  peaceful  freights  which  settle 
the  great  questions  of  mercantile  communities.  As  the 
United  States  take  over  ninety  per  cent  of  her  entire  ex- 
ports, towards  this  country  Cuba  naturally  looks  for  fellow- 
ship and  protection.  The  world's  centre  of  commercial 
gravity  is  changing  very  fast  by  reason  of  the  rapid  devel- 
opment of  the  United  States,  and  all  lands  surrounding 
the  Union  must  conform,  sooner  or  later,  to  the  prevailing 
lines  of  motion. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 


Travel 
G463 
.B3 
1889 


,-y  r  ' 


